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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


v.. 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  institute  for  Historical  Microreproductlons  /  Instltut  Canadian  de  microreproductlons  historiquea 


Tachnicai  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notas  taehniquat  at  bibliographiquaa 


The 
tol 


Tha  Instituta  haa  anamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  avaiiabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  baiow. 


D 


Colourad  covars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I     I   Covars  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagia 

Covars  rastorad  and/or  laminated/ 
Couvartura  rastauria  at/ou  palliculte 

Covar  titia  missing/ 

La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 

Colourad  maps/ 

Cartas  giographiquas  9n  coulaur 

Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

Colourad  platas  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planchaa  at/ou  illustrations  1%  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
RaiiA  avac  d'autraa  documants 


n 


Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

Laraliura  sarria  paut  causar  dj  i'ombra  ou  da  la 
distorsion  la  long  do  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possibla.  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainaa  pagaa  blanchas  ajout«as 
iors  d'una  rastauration  apparaissant  dans  la  taxta, 
mais,  lorsqua  cala  itait  possibla.  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  iti  film^as. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  la  maillaur  axampiaire 
qu'il  iui  a  «t«  possibla  da  sa  procurar.  Las  details 
da  cat  axampiaira  qui  sont  paut-Atra  uniquas  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua.  qui  peuvant  modifier 
una  imaga  raproduita.  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dans  ia  m«thoda  normale  da  f iimage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dassous. 


13 
Q 

D 
0 
D 
13 

n 
n 

D 

71 


Colourad  pagas/ 
Pagaa  da  coulaur 

Pagaa  damagad/ 
Pagas  andommagtes 

Pagas  rastorad  and/or  iaminatad/ 
Pagas  rastaurtes  at/ou  palliculAas 

Pagas  discoiourad,  stained  or  foxad/ 
Pages  dicoiorias.  tachettes  ou  piquies 

Pagas  detached/ 
Pagas  d^tach^s 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualit*  inigala  de  i'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  material  suppl^mantaira 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponibia 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  refiimed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totaiement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuiilet  d'errata.  una  peiure, 
etc.,  ont  6t«  fiimAes  i  nouveau  de  fapon  it 
obtanir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The 
poa 
ofi 
filnr 


Ori( 
beg 
the 
sioi 
othi 
first 
sior 
oril 


The 
shal 
T!N 
whi 

Maf 
diffi 
enti 
bagi 
righ 
raqi 
met 


0 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


Wrinkled  pages  mey  film  slightly  out  of  focus. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 


r 


10X 


14X 


18X 


22X 


y 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


aox 


a4x 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  hee  been  reproduced  thenkt 
to  the  generosity  of: 

izaalc  Walton  Killam  Memorial  Library 
Daihouiia  Univanity 

The  imeges  eppeoring  here  ere  the  beet  quelity 
possible  considering  the  condition  end  legibility 
of  the  originsi  copy  end  in  Iceeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — »-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

IVIaps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositA  de: 

Inak  Walton  Killam  IMamoriai  Library 
Dalhousia  Univanity 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  4tA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettet*  de  l'exemplaire  film«,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
fllmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sent  filmfo  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derni*re  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sent  filmto  en  commenpant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbde  — »-  signifie  "A  SUiVRE",  le     - 
symbols  y  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableeux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diff Arents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grend  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  ciichA,  11  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  heut  en  bes,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrent  le  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

II  li 


Iff^',,, 


:ff!#HS 


STATE  OF  Mf.V^    VORK; 


I 


i*lH|faie 


IN. 


tJlS 


^f|.>^^i|S, 


amim^miw 


i 

■if 


3fe»  **»!»»..■! 


•■?», 


1861. 


HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 


or  THE 


STATE   OF  NEW  YORK; 


•■fe 


BKUHO 


A  OBNEBAL  COLLECTION  OF  THE  MOST  INTESBSTINO  FACTS,  BIOGEAPHICAL 
SKETCHES,  VAHIED  DESCRIPTIONS,  &tt 


KILATING  TO  THI 


PAST  AND    PRESENT: 


GEOGRAPHICAL  DESCRIPTIONS 


OVTBI 


COUNTIES,  CITIES,  AND  PRINCIPAL  VILLAGES, 

THROUGHOUT  THE  STATE. 
Xllnstr«t«d  by  nnmaroj^s  BngraTlBf  a. 


^ 


BY  JOHN  Wf  BARBER, 

AOTBOK  OF  THE  XLEMENT8  OF  OENERAL  HIBTORY,  AND  THE  CONNKOnClIT 
AND  HA88ACBUBETT8  HIBTORIOAL  COLLECTIONB. 


tAniM  or  the  8uu  of  New  Yuk.] 


# 


[Man  eliTated.] 


NEW  YORK: 

PUBLISHED    FOB    THE    A17THOB, 

BY  CLARE,  AUSTIN  &,  CO.,  206  BROADWAY. 
1851. 


■J<J>%3G.tAtoc/^,g 


% 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1861, 

Br  John  W.  Barber, 

in  tfaeCferk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Connectk^A 


FRE?ACE. 


The  design  of  this  volume  is  to  give  an  account  of  the  most  im- 
portant and  interesting  events  relatmg  to  the  history  of  the  State  of 
New  Yorli,  from  its  settlement  to  the  present  time,  with  geographical 
descriptions,  illustrated  by  numerous  engravings.  In  preparing  the 
first  edition  of  this  work,  the  author  was  assisted  by  Mr  lienry 
Howe,  the  author  of  the  Historical  Collections  of  Virginia  and  Ohio. 

The  first  edition  of  this  work  was  published  ten  years  since.  Sev- 
eral editions  have  been  issued  since  that  period ;  the  most  recent  was 
by  Messrs.  H.  &  E.  Phinney,  of  Cooperstown,  in  1846.  This  was 
a  condensed  work  from  previous  editions,  and  left  out  much  dry 
detail,  which  could  be  found  in  several  other  works  published  in  the 
State.  The  present  edition  is  a  reprint  from  the  last,  with  the  ad- 
dition of  valuable  matter,  and  statistical  information  brought  down  to 
the  present  time. 

In  collecting  the  materials  and  preparing  them  for  publication,  and 
in  making  the  drawings  for  the  engravmgs,  each  of  the  compilers  of 
the  ongmal  work  spent  more  than  a  year  of  close  and  labonous  appli- 
cation. They  visited  every  part  of  the  state,  and  besides  travelling 
thousands  of  miles  in  the  public  conveyances,  journeyed  many  hun- 
dreds on  foot.  ■' 

Although  conscious  of  having  used  every  eflFort  which  could  be  rea- 
sonably expected,  in  order  to  have  the  work  accurate  in  every  respect, 
yet  experience  has  taught  us  not  to  claim  an  entire  exemption  from 
those  imperfections  ever  attendant  on  works  of  this  kind.  Travellers 
in  giving  accounts  of  foreim  countries,  their  history,  «&c.,  may  make 
statements  at  random,  which  may  pass  for  truth  when  there  is  no  one 
at  hand  able  to  correct  their  errors.  This  volume  will  come  before 
many  persons,  who,  on  some  subjects  introduced,  have  better  means 
of  information  than  the  compilers  of  the  original  work.  A  certain 
writer  defines  history  to  be  merely  "  an  approximation  towards  truth." 
Although  this  humiliating  statement  will  not  be  allowed  to  its  full  ex- 
tent, yet,  when  the  imperfection  of  every  thing  human  is  considered. 
It  must  be  confessed  to  have  some  foundation  in  truth. 

In  the  prosecution  of  this  work,  the  compiler  has  availed  himself  of 
the  labors  of  those  who  have  preceded  him.    The  historian  of  necessi- 


N 


0)  ^ 


^ 


;A/ 


m  mo«  in,u„„.,'S  ,  Z  ben.?™?  °^  P"Wi-'ion7,  o "hich 
W  each  author  give  hi.  iMtil™  *  T    "  »">»  "'»"«ht  adWsablitn' 

Mr  Disturnell  in  1842.  "^  ^^'  «^«  ^'"d,  was  publish^  by 

■poi.     The  pnnciparobject  was  toaivi  TS  ^'^^'n^s  taken  on  the 

▼wwing  n  from  different  nointa  of  oK        '•  ^®  materially  altered  bv 
whence  the  drawing  was  taken.       ''^''^^''^'y  ^°  stand  on  the  spot  from 

J.  W.  B. 


.fi 


;§-- 


COUNTIES,  TOWNSHIPS,  VILLAGES. 


Adama,  117. 
AddiMn,  339. 
Alabama,  107. 
Albion,  275,  976. 
Alden,  88. 
Albany,  45. 
Albany  Co.,  45. 
Alfred,  53. 
Alexandria,  116. 
Allen,  53. 
Alexander,  107. 
Almond,  53. 
Allroanv  Co.,  53. 
Amboy,  376. 
Amenia,  84. 
Amherst,  88. 
Amity,  53. 
Amsterdam,  146. 
Ancram,  76. 
Andes,  81. 
Andover,  53. 
Angelica,  53. 
Annsrille,  337. 
Antwerp,  116. 
Arcadia,  354 
Argyle,  348. 
Arietta,  113. 
Arkwright,  65. 
Ashford,  64. 
Astoria,  393. 
Athens,  111,  109. 
Athol,  344. 
Attica,  366. 
Auburn,  59. 
Augusta,  337. 
Aurelius,  59. 
Aurora,  88,  63. 
Austerlitz,  76. 
Au  Sable,  73. 
Avon,  139, 135. 
Avon  Springs,  135. 

Bainbridge,  71. 
Baldwinsviile,  354. 
Ballston,  309. 
Ballston  Spa,  309. 
Bangor,  100. 
Barcelona,  67. 
Barker,  56. 
Barre,  375. 
Barrington,  367. 
Barton.  .I.'JS 


Batavia,  107. 
Bath,  333. 
Bedford,  356,  364. 
Beekman,  84. 
Beekmantown,  73. 
Belfast,  53. 
Belmont,  100. 
Bennington,  366. 
Benton,  367. 
Be  wen,  107. 
Berkshire,  338. 
Berlin,  394. 
Berne,  45. 
Bethany,  107. 
Bethel,  337. 
Bethlehem,  45. 
Big  Flats,  67. 
Binghamton,  56. 
Bir^iall,  53. 
Black  Brook,  73. 
Black  Rock,  88. 
Bleeker,  103. 
Blenheim,  329. 
Bloomingsburg,  337. 
BloDming  Grove,  363, 
Bolivar,  53. 
Bolton,  344. 
Bombay,  100. 
Boonville,  337. 
Boston,  88. 
Bovina,  81. 
Boylaton,  276. 
Bradford,  333. 
Brandon,  100. 
Brasher,  304 
Brant,  88. 
Bridgewater,  227. 
Brighton.  143. 
Bristol,  356. 
Broadalbin,  103. 
Brockport,  145. 
Brookiield,  140. 
Brookhaven,  333. 
Brooklyn,  136. 
Broome  Co.,  56. 
Bmome,  329. 
Brownville,  116. 
Brunswick,  294. 
Brutus,  59. 
Buffalo,  88. 
Burlington,  281. 
Banw,  53. 


Bushwick,  196. 
Burton,  64. 
Busti,  65. 
Butler,  354. 
Butternuts,  381. 
Byron,  107. 

Cairo,  109. 

Cahoes,  53. 

Caldwell,  344. 

Caledonia,  135. 

Cambridge,  348. 

Camtllus,  343. 

Campbell,  339. 

Cambria,  315. 

Camden,  327. 

Cameron,  339. 

Canaan,  76. 

Canajoharie,  146. 

Canandaigua,  956. 

Canadice,  356. 

Candor,  338. 

Caneadea,  53. 

Canisteo,  333. 
Canton,  308 
Cariton,  375. 
Caroline,  340. 
Carlisle,  399. 
Carmel,  387. 
Carrol,  65. 
Caton,333. 
Caatile,  366. 
Castleton,  394. 
CA-TTARAuaus  Co.,  64 
Catherines,  67. 
CaUin,  67. 
Cato,  59. 
Catskill,  109. 
Caughnawaga,  146. 
Catdoa  Co.,  59. 
Cayuga,  63. 
Cayuta,  67. 
Cazenovia,  140. 
Centreville,  53. 
Champion,  116. 
Champlain,  73. 
Chariotte,  65. 
Charleston,  146. 
Charlton,  309. 
Chateaugua,  100. 
Chatham,  76. 
GH.iTiUuUfi  Co.,  65. 


Chatauque,  65. 

Chaiy,  73. 

Chemung,  67. 

Cmimuno  Co.,  67. 

Chenango,  56. 

Chinanoo  Co.,  70. 

Cherry  Valley,  383 

Cherry  Creek,  65. 

Chester,  344. 

Chesterfield,  95. 

Chiotawaga,  88. 

Chili,  143. 

China,  366. 

Chitteuango,  142. 

Cincinnatua,  80. 

Cicero,  343. 

Clareuce,  88. 

Clarendon,  375. 

Clarkson,  143. 

Clarkstown,  300. 

Clarkesville,  53. 

Claverack,  76. 

Clay,  243. 
Clayton,  116. 
Clermont,  76. 
Clifton  Park,  309. 
Clinton  Co.,  75. 
Clinton,  84. 
Clyde,  355. 
Clymer,  65. 
CobleskiU,  339. 
Cochecton,  337. 
Coeymans,  45. 
Colchester,  81. 
Colden,  88. 
Colesville,  56. 
Coldspring,  287,  64. 
Collins,  88. 
Columbia,  113. 
Columbia  Co.,  76. 
Columbus,  71. 
Concord,  88. 
Conesville,  339. 
Conesus,  135. 
Coney  Island,  126. 
Conhocton,  332. 
Conklin,  56. 
Connewango,  64 
Conquest,  59. 
Constable,  100. 
Constantia,  276. 
Coptike,  76. 


Coopentown,  asi. 
Corinth,  309. 
Cornwall,  869. 
Cortlandt,  80,  356. 
Cortland  Co.,  80. 
Cortlandvillo,  80. 
Coventry,  71. 
Covert,  330. 
Covington,  366. 
CoxMckie,  109. 
Crawford,  262. 
CroghBn,  134. 
Crown  Point,  95. 
Cuba,  53. 


C0UNTIF8,  TOWNSHIPS,  VILLAGES. 


Danbv,  340. 
Danube,  112. 
Danaville,  138,  332. 
Darien,  107. 
Davenport,  81. 
Day,  309. 
Dayton,  64. 
Decatur,  281. 
Deerfield,  227. 
Deer  Park,  262. 
De  Kttib,  304. 
Dflawarb  Co.,  81. 
Delhi,  81. 
Denmark,  134. 
Depeyster,  304. 
Deposit,  304. 
De  Ruyter,  140. 
Dewitt,  243. 
Diana,  134. 
Dickenson,  100. 
Dix,  67. 

Dobb's  Ferry,  309, 
Dover,  84. 
Dresden,  348. 
Dryden,  340. 
Duane,  100. 


Ellington,  (i5. 

Klliaburg,  116. 

Eimira,  67. 

KliialHJthtown,  95. 

Knfield,  .140. 

Ephrata,  109. 
Erib  Co.,  87. 
Erwin,  332. 
Erin,  67. 
Esopus,  341. 
Essex,  95. 
Essex  Co.,  95. 
Evans,  88. 
Exeter,  281. 


Duanesburg,  322. 
Dundee,  368. 
Dunkirk,  66. 
Durham,  109. 
DuTCHEBB  Co.,  84. 

Eagle,  53. 

East  Bloomfield,  256 

East  Chester,  356. 

East  Hampton,  333. 

Easton,  348. 

Eaton,  140. 

Eden,  88. 

Edinburg,  309. 

Edmeston,  281. 

Edwards,  304. 
Elba,  107. 
Elbridge,  243. 
Ellenburg,  72. 
Ellery,  65. 
Ellicott,  65. 
EllicottTille,  64. 


Fabius,  243. 
Fairfield,  112. 
Fallsburg,  337. 

Farmersville,  64. 

'  Forminjrton,  256. 

Far  Roc  ka way,  299. 

Fayette,  330. 

Fayetteville,  954. 

Fenner,  140. 

Fishkill,  87. 

Flatbush,  196. 

Flatlands,  196. 

Fleming,  59. 

Florence,  997. 

Florida,  146. 

Floyd,  227. 

Flushing,  291. 

Forrestburg,  337. 

Fort  Ann,  348. 
Fort  Edward,  348. 
Fort  Covington,  100. 
Fort  Plain,  152. 
Fowler,  304. 
Frankfort,  112. 
Franklin,  81,  82. 
Fkanklin  Co.,  100. 
Franklinville,  64. 
Fredonia,  66. 
Freedom,  64. 
Freetown,  80. 
French  Creek,  65. 
French  Mills,  100. 
Friendship,  53. 
Fulton,  280,  329. 
Fultonville,  153. 


Oeneva,  260. 
(leorgntnwn,  HO. 
Uerman  Flats,  119 
Gennan,  71. 
(lermantown,  76. 
Gerry,  65. 
Ghent,  76. 
Gilman,  112. 
Glen,  146. 
Glenn  Falls,  347. 
Glenville,  392. 
Gorhnm,  256. 
Goshen,  267. 
Gouverneiir,  304. 
Grafton,  294. 
Gran  by,  276. 
Granger,  53. 
Granville,  348. 
Gravesend,  126. 
Great  Valley,  64. 
Greece,  143. 
Green  bush,  298. 
Grbene  Co.,  108. 
Greene,  71. 
Greenport,  76,  335. 
Greenfield,  309. 
Greensburg,  356. 
Greenville,  109. 
Greenwich,  348. 
Greenwood,  339. 
Greig,  134. 
Groton,  340. 
Grove,  53. 
Groveland,  135. 
Guilderlaud,  45. 
Guilford,  71. 


Gaines,  275. 
Gainesville,  366. 
Galon,  354. 
Gallatin,  76. 
Galway,  309. 
Gardner's  Island,336, 
Gates,  143. 
Geddes,  244. 
Genesee,  53. 
Genesee  Co.,  107. 
Geneseo,  135. 
Genoa,  59. 


Hadley,  309. 
Hague,  344. 
Half  Moon,  309. 
Hallet's  Cove,  999. 
Hamburgh,  88. 
Hamilton,  140. 
Hamilton  Co.,  Ui, 
Hammond,  304 
Hamden,  81. 
Hampton,  348. 
Hamptonburg,  269. 
Hancock,  81. 
Hannibal,  976. 
Hanover,  65. 
Harlaem,  207. 
Harmony,  65. 
Harpersfield,  81. 
Harrisburg,  134. 
Harrison,  356. 
Hartford,  348. 
Hartland,  215. 
Hartwick,  281. 
Hastings,  276. 
Havana,  70. 
,  Haverstraw,  300. 
1  Hebron,  348. 


Hector,  340. 

Ileiiipstead,  993. 

Hend«rM>n,  116. 

Henrietta,  143. 

Herkimer  Co.,  119. 

Herkimer,  113. 

Hermon,  304 

Hillsdale,  7& 

Hinsdale,  64 
Holland,  88. 
Homer,  80. 
Hoosick,  294. 
Hope,  119. 
Hopkinton,  304 
Hopewell,  256. 
Horicon,  344 
Hornby,  332. 
Hornelsville,  332, 
Hounsfield,  116. 
How8-d,  3,39. 
Hudson,  76. 
Hume,  53. 
Humphrey,  64. 
Hunter,  109. 
Huntington,  333. 
Hurley,  341. 
Huron,  354. 
Hyde  Park,  87. 

Independence,  53, 
Ira,  u9. 

Irondeqnoit,  143, 
Islip,  333. 
Italy,  367. 
Ithaca,  340. 


Jackson,  348. 
Jamaica,  291. 
Jamestown,  65. 
Jasper,  339. 
Jay,  95. 
Java,  366. 
Jefferson,  329. 
Jefferson  Co.,  Ufc', 
Jerusalem,  367. 
Johnsburg,  344. 
Johnstown,  109. 
Jordan,  954. 
Junius,  330. 

Keene,  95. 

Keesville,  95, 

Kendall,  975. 

Kent,  987. 

Kinderhook,  76. 

Kingsbury,  348. 

Kings  Co.,  196. 
Kingston,  340. 
Kirkland,  ?27. 
Knox,  45. 
Kortright,  81. 

Lafayette,  243. 


COITNTICS,  TOWNSHIPS,  VILLA0B8. 


La  Orange,  84. 
Lake  Pleuant,  119. 
Lancanter,  88. 
Lanaini;,  .340. 
Laiuinburg,  998. 
Laurena,  ^81. 
Ijawrenoe,  304 
Lebanon,  140. 
Lee,  937. 
Ledyard,  59. 
Leioeeter,  135. 
Lenox,  I4U. 
Leon,  64. 
Le  Ray,  116. 
Le  Roy,  107. 
Lewia,  95. 
Lewiaboro,  356. 
Lbwib  Co.,  134. 
Lewbton,  915. 
Lexington,  109. 
Leyden,  134. 
Liberty,  337. 
Lima,  139,  135. 
Lincklaen,  VI. 
Lindley,  339. 
Liabon,  304. 
Lille,  56. 
Litchiiflid,  119. 
Little  FallK,  114. 
Little  Valley,  64. 
Liverpool,  944. 
Livingaton,  76. 
LiviNoaTON  Co.,  135. 
Livonia,  135. 
Locke,  59. 
Lockport,  915. 
Lodi,  330. 
LoNo  Ibland,  139. 
Long  Lake,  119. 
Lorraine,  116. 
Louisville,  304. 
Lowville,  134. 
Lumberland,  337. 
Luzerne,  344. 
Lyme,  116. 
Lyndon,  64. 
Lyons,  354. 
Lysander,  943. 

Machiaa,  64. 
Macedon,  354. 
Macomb,  12. 
McDonough,  71. 
Madison,  140. 
Madison,  140. 
Madrid,  304. 
Malone,  100. 
Malta,  309. 
Mamakatinffi  337. 
MamaronecK,  356. 
Manhattanville,  207. 
Marlborough,  341. 
Marcellu8,943,954. 


Manoheater,  956. 
Manheim,  119. 
Maiilius,  953. 
Manifield,  64. 
Marathon,  80. 
Marblutown,  341. 
Marion,  354. 
Murcy,  997. 
Mar<ihall,  997. 
Martirisbiirg,  134. 
Maryland,  981. 
Maaonville,  81. 
Maaaena,  304. 
Mattawan,  86 
Mayfield,  109. 
Mayville,  6.'>. 
Medina,  975. 
Mendon,  143. 
Mentz,  59. 
Meredith,  81. 
Mexico,  976. 
Middlebury,  366. 
Middleburg,  329. 
Middlefiflld,  9H1. 
MMd'*-.:.,  j67. 
Middletown,  963,  81. 
Milan,  84. 
Milford,  981. 
Milton,  309. 
Milo,  3G7. 
Mina,  65. 
Minden,  146. 
Minerva,  95. 
Miuiiink,  269. 
Mohawk,  146. 
Moira,  100. 
Monroe,  969. 
MoNROB  Co.,  143. 
Montezuma,  63. 
Montgomery,  967. 

MONTOOMERY  Co., 145 

Monticello,  337. 
Mooers,  72. 
Moravia,  59. 
Moreau,  309. 
Morehouse,  119 
Moriah,  95. 
Morrisiana,  365. 
Morrisville,  140. 
Morristown,  304. 
Mount  Hope,  269. 
Mount  Morris,  138. 
Mount  Pleasant,  356. 
Murray,  975. 

Nanticoke,  56. 
Naples,  256. 
Napoli,  64. 
Nassau,  294. 
Nelson,  140. 
Neversink,  337. 
New   iJbion,  64. 
Newark,  388. 


New  Baltimore,  109. 
New  Berlin,  71. 
Newburg,  969. 
Newcuatie,  356. 
Newcotnb,  95. 
Newfleld,  340. 
New  Fane,  915. 
New  Hartford,  997. 
New  Huveu,  976. 
New  Hudson,  53. 
New  I^banon,  76. 
New  Lisbon,  981. 
New  Paltz,  341. 
Newport,  119. 
New  Kochelle,  365. 
New  Hcotland,  45. 
Newstead,  88. 
Newtown,  991. 
New  Utrecht,  J  96. 
New  Windsor,  969. 
New  York  Co.,  154. 
Niagara,  915. 
Niagara  Co.,  315. 
Ni?hol«.  338. 
Niles,  .59. 
Niskayuaa,  393. 
Norfolk,  304. 
Northampton,  109. 
North  Castle,  356. 
Northfiold,  999. 
N.  Hempstead,  991. 
North  East,  84. 
North  Salem,  356. 
Northumberland,  309. 
Norway,  119. 
Norwich,  71. 
Nunda,  53. 

Ohio,  119. 
Ogd^n,  143. 
Ogdensburg,  304. 
Olean,  64. 
Olive,  341. 
Oneida  Ca,  997. 
Oneonta,  981. 
Onondaga,  243. 
Ononoaoa  Co.,  943. 
Ontario,  354. 
Ontario  Co.,  956. 
Oppenheim,  109. 
Oquago,  58. 
Orange  Co.,  269. 
Orange,  339. 
Orangetown,  300 
Orangevillo,  366. 
Oriskany,  235. 
Oriskany  Falls, 
Orleans,  116. 
Orleans  Co.,  274 
Orwell,  276. 
Osaian,  53. 
Oasissing,  356. 
Qswegatohie,  304 


Oswego,  376. 
OswKGo  Co.,  97A. 
Owego,  338. 
Otego,981. 
Otiaco,  943. 
Otto,  64 
Otsego,  981. 
Otskgo  Co.,  980. 
Otselio,  71. 
Ovid,  330. 
Owasco,  59. 
Oxford,  71. 
Oyster  Bay,  991. 

Painted  Post,  339. 
Palatine,  146. 
Palermo,  276. 
Pamelia,  116. 
Palmyra,  354 
Paris,  297. 
Parish,  976. 
Pariehville,  304 
Parma,  143. 
Patchogue,  335. 
Paterson,  987. 
Pavilion,  107. 
Pawling,  84. 
Peekskill,  356. 
Pelham,  356. 
Pembroke,  107. 
Pendleton,  915. 
Peniield,  143. 
Penn  Yan,  367. 
Perrinton,  143. 
Perry,  366. 
Perrysburg,  64 
Persia,  64. 
Peru,  79. 
Petersburg,  994. 
Perth,  109. 
Pharsalia,  71. 
Plielps,  956. 
Philadelphia,  116. 
PhilliitBtown,  987. 
Pierrepont,  304. 
Piermoiit,309. 
Pike,  53. 
Pinckney,  134. 
Pine  Plains,  84 
Pitcaim,  304 
Pitcher,  71. 
PitUfield,  981. 
Pittsford,  143. 
Pittstown,  994 
Plainfield,  981. 
Plattekill,  341. 
Plattsburg,  79. 
Pleasant  Valley,  84. 
Plymouth,  71. 
Poland,  65. 
Pomfret,  65. 
Pompey,  943,  354 
Portage,  53. 


8 

Porter,  215. 
Portland,  65,  67. 
Port  Byron,  6.3. 
Port  Chester,  365. 
Port  Genesee, 
Portville,  64. 
Potsdam,  308. 
Potter,  367. 
Poughkeepeie,  84. 
Poundridge,  356. 
Prattsburg,  332. 
Prattsvillo,  109. 
Preble,  80. 
Preston,  71. 
Princeton,  322. 
Providence,  309. 
Pulaski,  280. 
Palteney,  333. 
Putnam  Co.,  287. 
Putnam  Valley,  287 
Putnaiii,  348. 


COUNTIES,  TOWNSHIPS,  VILLAGES. 


'^ueensbury,  344, 
EKNS  Co.,  290. 

>apo,  300. 
-widolph,  64. 
Reading,  332 
Redfield,  276. 
Redhook,  84. 
Remsen,  227. 
Rensselaer  Co.,  294 
RensBelaervilie,  45. 
Rhinebeck,  84. 
Ridgeway,  275. 
Richfield,  281. 
Richford,  338. 
Richland,  276. 
Richmond,  256. 
Richmond  Co.,  299 
Riga,  143. 
Ripley,  65. 
Riverhead,  335. 
Rochester,  341,  143. 
Rockland,  337. 
Rockland  Co.,  300. 
Rodman,  116, 
Rome,  227. 
Romul"8,  330. 
Rondout,  342. 
Root,  146. 
Rossie,  304 
Rose,  354. 
Rotterdam,  322. 
Roxbnry,  81. 
Royalton,  215. 
Rush,  143. 
Roshford,  53. 
Russell,  304. 
Russia,  112, 
Rutland,  116. 
Rye,  356. 


Sacltetts  Harbor,  117, 
Sagg  Harbor,  333, 
J^t-  iohnsville,  146. 
St.  Regis,  101. 
Salem,  350, 
Salina,  244. 
Salisbury,  112. 
Sanford,  56. 
Sandlake,  294. 
Sandy  Creek,  276. 
Sandy  Hill,  350. 
Sangerfield,  227. 
^  Saranac,  72. 
Saratoga,  310. 
Sardinia,  88. 
Saratoqa  Co.,  309. 

Saratoga  Spring8,310. 
Saugerties,  341. 
Savannah,  354. 
Sawpits,  365. 
Scaredale,  356. 
Schaghticoke,  294. 
Schenectady    Co 
322.  ' 

Schenectady,  323. 
Schoharie,  329. 
Schoharie  Co.,  328. 
Schodac,  294. 
Schroon,  95. 
Schroeppel,  276. 
Schuyler,  112. 
Schuylerville,  310. 
Scio,  53. 
Scipio,  59. 
Scott,  80. 
Scriba,  276. 
Sempronius,  59. 
Seneca,  256. 
Seneca  Co.,  330. 
Seneca  Falls,  330. 
Sennet,  59. 
Seward,  329. 
Setauket,  335. 
Shandaken,  341. 
Sharon,  322. 
^|;»wwigunk,  341. 
Shelby,  275. 
Shelter  Island,  333, 
Sheldon,  366. 
Sherburne,  71, 
Sheridan,  65. 
Sherman,  65. 
Sidney,  81. 
Sing  Sing,  360. 
akaneateles,  251. 
Sleopy  Hollow,  360 
Smithfield,  140. 
Smithtown,  333, 
Smithville,  71. 
Smyrna,  71. 
Sodus,  354. 
Solon,  80. 
Somers,  356#, 


Somerset,  215. 
South  Bristol,  256. 
^outh  East,  287. 
Southfield,  299. 
Southampton,  335. 
Southold,  333. 
Southport,  67. 
Spaffbrd,  243. 
Sparta,  135. 
Spencer,  338. 
Springfield,  281. 
Spnngport,  59, 
»pringwater,  135, 
otamford,  81. 
Stafford,  107. 
Stanford,  84. 
Stark,  112. 
Starkey,  367, 
Stephentown,  294 
Sterling,  59. 
Steuben,  227. 
Steuben  Co.,  332. 
'Stillwater,  315. 

^^304'**'""'*"   Co., 

Stockbridge,  140. 

Stockholm,  304. 

Stockport,  76. 

Stockton,  65. 

Stratford,  102. 

Stuyvesant,  76. 

Suffolk  Co.,  333. 

Sullivan,  140. 
Sullivan  Co.,  337 
Summer  Hill,  59. 
Summit,  329. 
Sweden,  14H. 
Syracuse,  244. 


Unadilla,  281. 
Union,  350,  56. 
Union  Vale,  84. 
-Union  Village,  350 
Urbana,  332. 
Utica,  227. 

Valatie,  77. 

Van  Buren,  243,  67. 

Varick,  330. 

Venice,  59. 

Vernon,  227. 

Verona,  227. 

Vestal,  56. 
Veteran,  67, 
I  Victor,  256. 
Victory,  59. 
Vienna,  262,  227. 
Villenova,  65. 
Virgil,  80. 
Volney,  276. 


Taghkanic,  76. 

Tappan,  302. 

Tarrytown,  358. 

1  hompson,  337. 

Ticonderoga,  95, 
Tioga,  338. 
Tiooa  Co.,  338. 
Tompkins,  81. 
Tompkins  Co.,  339. 
I  onawanda,  94. 
Trenton,  227. 
Triangle,  56. 
Troupsburg,  332. 
Troy,  294. 

Trumansburg,  34O. 

I  ruxton,  80. 
Tully,  243. 
Turin,  134. 
Tyre,  330. 
Tyrone,  332. 


Ulster  Co.,  341. 
Ulsterville,  343. 
Wwes,  340. 


Walden,  267. 
Wales,  88. 
Walkill,  262. 
Walton,  81, 
Walworth,  364, 
Warren,  112. 
Warren  Co.,  344 
Warrensburg,  344! 
Warsaw,  366, 
Warwick,  262, 
Washington,  84. 
Washington  Cc.,348. 
Waterford,  321, 
Waterloo,  330. 
Watertown,  117. 
Water  diet,  45. 
Watson,  134 
Wawarsing,  341. 
Wayne,  332, 
Wayne  Co.,  354. 
Webster,  I43. 
Weedsport,  63. 
Wells.  112! 
West  Almond,  53. 

West  Bloomfield,  256. 
Westfield,  67, 
West  Monroe,  276 
West  Poinj,  267. 
Westchester,  356. 
Westchester    Co 
356.  ' 

Westerlo,  45, 

Western,  227, 

Westfield,  65, 

Westford,  281, 

Westmoreland,  227. 
Westport,  95. 
West  Troy,  52. 
West  Turin,  134 
Westville,  100. 
Wethenfield.  3fia 


COUNTIES,  TOWNSHIPS,  VILLAGES. 


Wheatfield,  S15. 
Wheatland,  143. 
Wheeler,  332. 
White  Creek,  348. 
Whitehall,  348. 
White  Plains,  356. 
Whiteaborou^h,  233. 
Whiteatown,  227. 
WiUet,  80. 


Williamsburg,  133. 
Williamson,  354. 
Wiliiamstown,  276. 
Wiilsborough,  95. 
Wilmington,  95. 
Wilmurt,  112. 
Wilna,  116. 
Wilson,  215. 
Wilton,  309. 


Windham,  109. 
Windsor,  56. 
Winfield,  113. 
Wirt,  53. 
Wolcott,  354. 
Woodhull,  333. 
Woodstock,  341. 
Worcester,  281. 
Wyoming,  366. 


WTOHiNa  Co.,  366. 

Yates,  275. 
Yatbs  Co.,  367. 
Yonkers,  365. 
York,  135. 
Yorkshire,  64. 
Yorktown,  356. 
Youngstown,  394. 


JPOPTJLATIOIT  OF  COUMTIES,  AOOOBDINO-  TO  THE  CENSUS  OP  1850, 
AND  FOPULAnON  OF  THE  COUNTIES  IN  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK  IN  1846, 
Compiled  from  official  retuma  in  tJu  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State. 


1845.  1850. 

Albany 77,268 98,297 

Allegany 40,084 87,880 

Broome 26,808 80,«60 

Cattaraugus 80,169 88,912 

Cayuga 49,663 65,489 

Chautauqua 46,648 60,624 

Chemung 28,689 28,964 

Chenango 89,900 40,818 

Clinton 81,278 40,066 

Columbia 41,976 43,004 

Cortland 28,081 25,068 

Delaware 86,990 89,872 

Dutchess  66,124 68,994 

Erie 78,636 101,116 

Essex 26,102 81,203 

Franklin 18,692 26,114 

Fulton  18,679 20,168 

Genesee    28,846 28,688 

Greene 81,967 83,124 

Hamilton 1,882 2,188 

Herkimer 87,424 88,267 

Jefferson  64,999 68,166 

Kings 78,691 138,899 

Lewis 20,218 24,670 

LiTingston 83,198 40,887 

Madison 40,987 43,081 

Monroe  70,S&» 87,838 

Montgomery 29,643 81,913 

New  York 871,102 516,894 

Niagara 84,660 42,224 

Oneida 84,776 99,818 


1845.  1850. 

Onondaga 70,176 ,..    86,900 

Ontario 42,692 48,977 

Orange 62,227 67,164 

Orleans 26,846 28,464 

Oswego 48,441 62,160 

Otsego 60,609 48,746 

Putnam 18,268 14,184 

Queens 81,849 86,882 

Rensselaer 62,838 '78,485 

Richmond 18,678 16,066 

Rockland 13,741 16,966 

Saratoga 41,477 45,620 

Schenectady 16,680 20,067 

Schoharie 82,488 88,686 

Seneca 24,972 26,442 

St  Lawrence 62,864 63,684 

Steuben 61,679 68,786 

Suffolk 34,679 86,826 

Sullivan 18,727 26,090 

Tioga 22,466 26,384 

Tompkins 8S,168 88,749 

Ulster  48,907 69,406 

Warren 14,908 17,169 

Washington 40,554 44,751 

Wayne 42,616 44,967 

Westchester 47,678 68,267 

Wyoming 27,206 82,128 

Yates 20,777 20,590 


Total 2,600,374 3,098,818 


INDEX. 


Abwcrombie,  Gen.,  defeat  of,    . 
Allen,  Indian,    .  ' 

Amsterdam,  Nienw,  b  1659.     .' 
Andre,  taking  of,       .        .' 
Andre,  execution  of,  . 
Anecdotes,  ludicroua, 
Ararat,  city  of,  , 

trr'iX'"'"''""'"'""''-  ■ 

*  •  • 

Ballad,  on  the  dertruoti^„n  Jf 'g,)^^. 

Black  Rock,  attack  on,      . 
Bowne  Mansion  House, 

W'  ^'?"i««""»t.  horrible  death  of    " 
Brock,  Sir  James,  death  of,  '  * 

«rant,  Joseph,  notice  of,     ! 
Bread,  scarcity  of,      . 
Bndgewater,  battle  of,        .*        * 

British  office«,de«3ription  of,      * 
Brown,  Colonel,  notice  of. . 
auwoyne,  surrender  of.      . 
Butler,  Walter,  death  of,    .        ' 


fag* 

■      97 
145 
156 
358 
302 
384 
94 
153 
203 


Dodd  Rev  Bethuel,  ;pitaph,  .' 


240  I 

3271 

200 

90 


Cahoes  Falls,    . 

Canajoharie,  invasion  "of,    .' 

t-aroline,  burninir  of,  . 

Carthage  Bridge,  '        ' 

Catskill  Mountam  House, .'        " 
Cayuga  Bridge,  .  *        ' 

Census,  New  York  city,    .'        *        * 
Census  of  counties,     .  *        " 

Chatauque  gas  springs,      .* 
Chemung,  battle  of,   .  *        ' 

Chimney  Point  Gulf, 
Church,  ancient,  at  Caughnawalra     * 
Church,  ancient,  Albany!  *  '    ' 

Churches,  number  of  i„  N.  York,     lo 
Cholera  m  New  York,  '     ^"*' 

J^nippewa,  battle  of,   . 

C  ty  Hall,  New  York, 
Clinton,  George,  notice  of, 

gS^-'-D^  Witt,  notice  of,  ; 
Cobleskill,  attack  on, 

Code,,,  Governor,  effigy  of!  " 
Colden,  CadwallQder,  notice  of  ' 
Cornbury,  lorti,  notic;  of,  " 

Crown  Point,     ,  >  •        • 

Croton  Aqueduct,     ..' 
Customhouse,    . 


Fire,  great,  in  New  York   177R 
F/re,  great,  in  New  York  iSf' 

Fjve  Rations,  invade  C«;daf' 
Fort  Ene,  assault  on,  *'    ' 

Fort  Erie,  sortie  of,    . 
ooolp'*^'*^.  Wock-honw,    !        * 

2j8i:^*«r'GfneraI,  death  of.  * 

joo    ?'?.''•'"«.  Fort,  notice  of,    .        ' 
3g   Fulton,  Robert,  notice  of,  :        .* 

177   Gardner,  Lyon.  noUce  of,  . 
iff  ^?n«»ee  Falls,  .        .     ''        ' 
311    Glenns  Falls,  '  .  '        ' 

106   Gray,  Colonel,  death  of,     '        ' 
«;o   r^"^**'' ®'«'«'on,  epitanh  "    •   '    ^*" 

Harlaem  Tunnel, 

iJfi  S^l^'^y-^^^^doteof,  •    • 

"7  S:;£^"' ««»«'«'.  notice  of.  : 

IPS     HJ™, "•''""'«?  of. 

Hudson  River  discovered,  .'        ' 


1(^ 
302 
237 
47 
146 

58 
204 


.    172 
■    190 
21 
90 
91 
152 
292 
320 
255 
95 
909 

336 
144 
347 
125 
259 


144 

110  i 

63 

154 

9 

66 

68, 


183 

221 

285 

185 

273 

265 

330 

166 

293 

23 

95 


Indians,  natives, 
Indians,  Tuscarora, 
Indians,  Onondaga, 


82 

•    177 
187 
207 
213 
238 
234 
115 
113 
153 
55 
108 
97 
15 


'Jay.  John,  LL.  D.,  notice  of 
--jJohusonHall,    .    '"'''""' "^      • 


14 
217 
343 

364 
103 
103 
147 


INDEX. 


11 


^M       KBlm,  Profefisor,  visit  to  Albany, 

.    '^ 

^H       Kidd'a  Heights,  Albany,    . 

.      46 

^H       Kidd,  William,  th6  pirate, . 

336 

^M       Kirtland,  Rev.  Mr.,  notice  of,     . 

.    238 

^B       Kingston,  destruction  of,    . 

.    349 

^m       Knickerbocker,  extract  from,     . 

.    159 

^M       Kosciusko,  notice  of, . 

.    271 

V^ 

^m        Lake  George,  battle  of, 

.    344 

.    106 

^1        Lee,  Ann,  notice  of,  . 

.      52 

•       •        .    309 
aphi     .        .    237 

H        Letter,  anonymous,  Newburg,    . 

.    264 

H        Livingston,  Philip,  notice  of, 

.    208 

.      47 

H        Livingston,  William,  notice  of,   . 

.    209 

a^'aj:*.        .    146 

H        Livingston,  Brockhaldst,    . 

.    211 

H         Lindesay,  Mr.,  notice  of,    . 

.    283 

n.  notice  of,        59 

H         Long  Island,  battle  of, 

.    128 

.    204 

■         Long  Island,  account  of,    . 

.     139 

.1776.        .    172 

■         Lundy's  Lane,  battb  of,    . 

.    229 

1835,        .    190         ■ 

■         McCrea,  Miss  Jane,  murder  of, . 

.    353 

■          Merchante'  Exchange,  New  York, 

.    194 

90         H 

I          Meigs,  Colonel,  expedition  of,     . 

.    334 

91          H 

I          Mohawk  Castles,  taking  of. 

.    151 

•     159          ■ 

■          Montgomery,  General,  notice  of, 

.    212 

299         ^1 

■          Montauk  Point,  view  of,    . 

.    336 

■    320          ■ 

I          Montour,  Catharine,  notice  of,  . 

.      70 

;■   :'|     1 

I          Morris,  Gouvomeur,  notice  of,    . 

.    3fi5 

I          Navy  Yard,  Brooklyn, 

.    126 

^1 

Negro  plot,        .... 

.    164 

.    336          ■ 

New  York,  evacuation  of, . 

.    310 

•     144          ■ 

New  York  in  1800,    . 

.    184 

•    347          ^B 

Now  York  University, 

.    195 

125           ^M 

New  York  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum 

,      196 

259           ^H 

Newspapers,  ancient,  extracts  from, 

.    165 

Birationof,  231           H 

Niagara  Falls,  view  of. 

.    220 

198           J^M 

Niagara  Fort,  account  of,  . 

.    225 

adven-                  ^| 

Norton,  Seth  M.,  epitaph,  . 

.    340 

82           ^H 

Officers,  Dutch  names  of,  . 

.    156 

•    177           H 

Ogdensburg,  attack  on, 

.    305 

187            ^H 

Oneida  Institute,  view  of,  . 

.    232 

^'         •    213            H 

Onondagas,  account  of. 

.    243 

Onondaga,  French  colony  at,  in 

the 

'  "^^       ^H 

year  1656 

.    248 

•    234             ^H 

Oriskany,  battle  of,    . 

.    235 

•    115            ^H 

Oswego,  attack  on,    . 

.    279 

113             ^^H 

Oswego  Fort,  surrender  of, 

.    277 

152             ^1 

55             ^H 

Painted  Post,  the  history  of. 

.    332 

°>           108             ^H 

Palatinates,  settlement  of,  . 

.      24 

•      97              ^H 

Patroons,  notice  of,    . 

.      18 

15              "^1 

Paulding,  John,  notice  of,  . 

.    358 

>^^| 

Peekskill,  incursion  into,     . 

.    357 

14               '^1 

Penitentiary,  Blackwell's  Island, 

.    189 

'    '^17              ,^^1 

Phelps  and  Gorham's  surveys,    . 

.    258 

■    243              1^1 

Phelps,  Hon.  Oliver,  epitaph,      . 

.    260 

I^H 

Pike,  Gen.  Z.  M.,  death  of. 

.     120 

'  ^^        i^H 

Plattsburg,  battle  of,  . 

.      73 

•    103             IH 

Pompey,  ancient  remains  at, 

.    254 

•    103               ^V 

Portage  Falls,  view  of, 

.      54 

,     147                  ^^^H 

1                Prisnr.  at  AnKiira 

.      61 
.    127 

m 

Prison  ships,  revolutionary, 

Preicott,  battle  of,     ....  ^ 

Publications,  periodical,  in  New  Vorki  209 

Putnam's  battle  with  Indiana,    .        .  3&0 

Queenstown  Heights,  battle  of,  .        .  218' 

Red  Jacket,  notice  of,        .        .        .93 

Red  Jacket,  conference  with,     .        .  258 

Rensselaer,  manor  of,         ...  297 

Rensselaer,  Hon.  Stephen,  notice  of,  .  51 

Revolutionary  incidents  in  New  York,  173 
Rivington  press  destroyed, .        .        .169 

Robinson  House,  the,          .        .        .  268 

Royalists  executed  at  Kingston,          .  343 

Sachems  visit  England,     ...  34 

Sacketts  Harbor,  attack  od,       .        .  123 

Salina  salt  works 940 

Sailor's  Snug  Harbor,        ...  299 

Schlosser  Luiding,  view  of,        .        .  998 

Schuyler,  Honyost,  stratagem  of,       .  931 

Schuyler,  Genera!  Philip,  notice  of,    .  315 
Schuyler  Mansion  House, .        .        .311 

Schenectady,  destruction  of,       .        .  395 

Schoharie,  Fort,  attack  on,        .        .  399 

Seneoa  Mission  House,      ...  93 
Shakers,  notice  of,     .                .        .59 

Shakers  at  New  Lebanon,  ...  78 

Sing  Sing  Prison,       ....  360 

Skeene,  Major,  royalist,     .        .        .  349 

Skenandoah,  epitaph,        .        .        .  940 

Skenandoa,  notice  of,         ...  239 

Sleepy  Hollow, 360 


101 
155 
208 
312 
230 
941 
316 
211 


Standard,  first,  taken  in  last  war, 
Stadt  Huys  in  1642,  . 
Stuyvesant,  Governor,  notice  of. 
Sterling,  Lord,  notice  ot,    . 
Stanwix,  Fort,  siege  of, 
Steuben,  Baron,  notice  of, . 
Stillwater,  battle  at,  . 
Steamboat,  Fulton,  first  American, 
Stony  Point,  stcrming  of,  . 


Tammany  Hall,  New  York,      .        .  199 

Ticonderoga,  Fort 96 

Ticonderoga,  capture  of,  by  Allen,     .  96 

Ticonderoga,  St  Clair's  evacuation  of,  99 

Trenton  Falls 249 

Troy  Female  Seminary,  .  .  .  296 
Tunnel  at  Portage,    .        .        .        .55 

Tu3carora  Indians,    ....  317 

Union  College,  .        .        .        .        .323 

Van  Kleek  House,  ....  65 
Van  Rensselaer,  S.,  notice  of,  .  .  51 
Van  Wart,  Isaac,  epitaph,         .        .    360 

Wads  worth,  James  and  William,  notice 

of, 136 

Washington,  Fort,  capture  of,  .  .  363 
TT  ashington  inaugufatru,  .  .  .  193 
Washington's  hei^-quarteiB,  Newburg,  263 


19 

Wert  Point  Academy, 
^°IJ«' gngh.  notice  of,     . 

White  Plains,  battle  of,      . 
WUIiamB,  Rev.  Mr,  capture  of.. 


INDBX. 


at 


273 
233 
237 
361 
101 

332 


"the    Univenal 


Wilkinson,  Jemima. 

Friend,"     . 
William  Henry,  Fort.'captiire  of, 

Yellow  Fever  in  New  York,      . 

S,'g.t:atSnr— •' 
Young,  Major  G.  D.,  notici  of, ."       .* 


368 
346 

180 
170 
118 
101 


INDEX 


To  the  additional  matter  in  the  Appendix. 

D 


Death  of  the  Oneida  guide.  '    |?S 

Battle  of  Bennington,^  '  '  '  Hi 
Ancient  Dutch  Chureh,  Sleepy  Hollow  381 
Decepuon  on  Sir  Jame^  Yeo.  '  f^ 


David  Williams  captor  of  Andre,  3^ 

Execution  of  a  deserter,  .  '  '  12 
aowing  up  of  the  Steam  Frigate  Fulton  38^ 
Murder  of  Robert  Barber,   ^*'*  ""'°°'  J"* 

Capture  of  the  Amistad,  *      " 

Rachel  Baker, 

Abduction  of  Morgan, 

ConflagraUen  of  the  Phanix, 

Wreck  of  the  Mexico. 


■ .»  „.   me  meXICO.         .  .  one 


List  of  Post  Offices, 
Towns  recently  organized. 


389 
390 
392 
394 
395 


399 
13 


Townafaipf. 


Ie!!^?!HiraRECENTLY  ORGANIZED 

liDl.  « ^  .; — -^ 


Ashland, 

Callicoon, 

Cape  Vincent, 

Carrolton, 

Chester, 

East  Fishkill, 

Genessee  Falls, 

Hartford, 

Jewett, 

La  Pier, 

Lloyd, 

Macomb, 

Maine, 


Counties. 


Greene. 

Sullivan. 

Jefferson. 

Cattaraugus. 

Orange. 

Dutchess. 

Allegany. 

Cortlandt. 

Greene. 

Cortlandt. 

Ulster. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Broome. 


New  Bremen, 
North  Dansville, 
North  Hudson, 
North  Norwich, 
Poeston  Kill, 
Rice, 

Rosendale, 
Schuyler  Falls, 
South  Talley, 
West  Farms, 
West  Sparta, 
Worth, 


Countiefl. 


Lewis. 
Livingston. 


Chenango. 

Rennselaer. 

Cattaraugus. 

Ulster. 

Clinton. 

Cattaraugus. 

West  Chester. 

Livingston. 

Jefferson. 


ft 


Juivenal 


'•n 


of,       .' 

368 
346 

itflon, 

•  • 

•  • 

180 
170 
118 
101 

e,  .  3(S 
.    383 

!  Fulton,  385 
.  387 
.    389 

•  .390 
.  392 
.  394 
■    395 

lODiaoi,  396 
.  399 
.      12 


inUei. 

ston. 

»gO; 

ilaer. 
ugus. 


ugus. 

/hester. 

ton. 

3. 


«..^' 


>n 
le 


id 

36 


(n 


s 


-^-irwnnCcoiI.  dftBIS  New  York  Hist.  Soc 


;s,  at  tnicc  vOls.  ibiio. 


"zyj  ^jshi.  s 

^ 

al     "Cm"      r 

^ 

^p^x 

«S^^ 

\    "\jhm'':^^^^^ 

i    /\  ^Ty 

rHv*/-^ 

.rif^^ 

^tSflr 

J^B^ 

v  ^ 

J^^/ 


18 


Weat 

West  Foil 

Wlihe,H| 

White, 

Wliite  rii 

WUiaauJ 

WiUia 


Flr«iieh( 

Long] 

Confer 

Hell 
Indian  I 
Indian  cl 
¥ini  aeti 
Crerman  [ 
Remarkaj 
Deatliof 
Battle  of  I 
Ancient  u 
Deoeptioi 


Tol 


Gallici 

Cape  f 

Cajrrol| 

Ghestel 

East! 

Geneai 

Hartfd 

Jewetf 

La  Pit 

Lloyc^ 

Macog 

Maine 


/ 


\ 


NEW   YORK. 


OUTLINE    HISTORY. 


# 


There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  first  Europeans  who  landed  on 
the  soil  of  New  York,  were  the  crew  of  a  French  vessel  under  the 
command  of  John  de  Verrazzano,  a  Florentine,  in  the  service  of 
Francis  L,  of  France.  "  Verrazzano  had  been  for  some  time  intrusted 
with  the  command  of  four  ships,  in  cruising  agaimst  the  Spaniards. 
These  vessels  being  separated  in  a  storm,  the  commander  resolved 
with  one  of  them,  the  Dauphin,  to  undertake  a  voyiige  for  the  purpose 
of  discovering  new  countries."  About  the  middle  of  March,  1524, 
he  arrived  on  the  American  coast  near  Wilmington,  N.  C.  From 
this  point  he  proceeded  as  far  south  as  Georgia.  He  then  turned 
and  proceeded  northward,  until  he  came  to  about  the  latitude  of  41" 
north,  where  he  entered  a  harbor,  which,  from  his  description,  is 
believed  to  be  that  of  New  York.* 

It  appears  from  Verrazzano's  account,  that  he  stayed  in  the  harbor 
about  fifteen  days.  It  seems  he  had  much  intercourse  with  the  natives 
of  the  country.  «  They  came  on  board  his  ship  frequently,  and  without 
reserve ;  traded  with  him  freely  for  such  articles  as  he  needed,  and 
generally  attended  his  men,  in  weater  or  smaller  numbers,  whenever 
they  went  on  shore."  He  sailed  from  the  harbbr  on  the  5th  of  May, 
and  proceeded  as  far  north  as  the  coast  of  Labrador ;  from  thence 
he  sailed  for  France,  where  he  arrived  in  July.  In  a  letter  to  the 
kmg,  he  gave  an  account  of  his  voyage,  giving  the  name  of  New 
France  to  the  country  he  visited.  As  his  voyage  neither  produced 
nor  promised  any  addition  to  the  revenues  of  France,  his  discoveries 
were  not  pursued,  and  even  the  memory  of  it  was  almost  forgotten. 
It  is  supposed  that  Verrazzano,  in  a  subsequent  voyage,  was  cut  to 
pieces  and  devoured  by  the  savages. 

In  1607,  a  London  company  fitted  out  a  ship  under  the  command 
of  Henry  Hudson,  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  a  northwestern 
passage  to  the  East  Indies.    This  voyage,  and  another  the  next  yeai- 

•  An  account  of  this  voyage,  given  in  a  letter  to  the  French  king,  is  found  in  Richard 
Haklu'^^JToy^ges,  Nayigationaj^  &c.,  published  in  1600,  in  London,  in  thiee  vob.  foUo. 
{?  55  rspTijipsiiuu  in  vol.  i.  of  ihc  Coil,  of  iho  New  York  Hist.  Boc. 


14 


OUTLINI   HI8T0BT. 


! 


for  the  same  purpose,  both  proving  unsuccessful,  the  company  sub- 
pnded  their  patronage.  Hudson  then  went  to  Holland,  and  entered 
into  the  service  of  the  celebrated  Dutch  East  India  Company.  This 
company  fitted  out  a  small  ship,  named  Half  Moon,  under  the  com- 
mand  of  Hudson,  with  a  crew  it  is  said  of  twenty  men,  Dutch  and 
r  ?  -i'  ""^"^^  '®"  Amsterdam  on  the  4th,  the  Texel  on  the  6th 
ot  April,  and  arrived  on  the  American  coast  on  the  18th  of  July, 
1609,  near  Portland,  m  the  state  of  Maine.  ^ 

Pursuing  his  course  southward,  Hudson  came  to  Cape  Cod.  where 
he  landed,  about  the  3d  of  August.    After  this,  he  sailed  southward 
and  westward  for  one-and-twenty  days,  -making  remarks  on  the 
soundings  and  currente,"  until  he  came  to  the  entrance  of  Chesapeak 
Bay,  about  the  24th  of  August.    From  this  point,  he  returned  north- 
ward along  the  coast,  and  on  the  28th  discovered  Delaware  Bay 
During  the  •«  following  days,  Hudson  pursued  his  northerly  course, 
until,  on  the  ad  of  September,  1609,  he  anchored  within  Sandy  Hook. 
The  next  day,  the  4th  of  September,  he  sent  a  boat  on  shore  for 
the  puroose  of  fishing.     The  tradition  is  that  his  men  first  landed  on 
Coney  island,  whichjies  near  to  Long  Island,  and  now  makes  a  part 
otKmgs  county.    On  the  same  day  the  natives  came  on  board  his 
ship,  as  she  lay  at  anchor,  conducting  themselves  with  great  apparent 
iriendlmess,  and  discovering  a  strong  disposition  to  barter  the  produce 
of  their  country  for  knives,  beads,  clotlies,  and  other  articles  of  a 
similar  kind.    The  next  dav,  the  5th  of  September,  Hudson  again 
sent  Ills  boat  on  shore,  for  the  purpose,  as  appears  from  the  iounial, 
ot  exploring  and  soundmg  the  waters  lying  to  the  south,  within  Sandy 
Hook,  and  forming  what  is  now  called  the  Horse  Shoe.    Here  the 
boat  s  crew  landed  and  penetrated  some  distance  into  the  woods,  in 
what  IS  now  Monmouth  county,  in  New  Jersey.     They  were  verv 
weU  received  by  the  natives,  who  presented  them  very  kindly  with 
what  the  journal  calls  'green  tobacco,'  and  also  with  'dried  cur- 
rants;  [these  were  pBobably  whortleberries,]  which  are  represented 

«  Al'^f  If?  ?  «  ""  ^r^*  fJ^'l^y'  ^^  «^  ^  ^«^y  excellent  quality. 
On  the  6th  of  September,  Hudson  sent  a  boat  manned  with  five 
hands  to  explore  what  appeared  to  be  the  mouth  of  a  river,  at  the 
distance  of  about  four  leagues  from  the  ship.  This  was  no  doubt 
the  strait  between  Long  and  Staten  islands,  generally  called  the 
JVarrows.    Here,  the  writer  of  the  journal  observes,  '  a  good  depth 

JZ^\^^  ^T^'  ^i  ^'^^^^  ^  '^'•8«  ^Pe'^i^g'  ^d  a  narrSw 
nX/?K^r'*'  "l  "^^^""^  'K'^  ^^^'^^^t  ^^  refers  to  what  is  now 
called  the  Kills,  or  the  channel  between  Bergen  Neck  and  Staten 
Island.  In  exploring  the  bay  and  the  adjacent  waters,  the  boat's 
crew  spent  the  whole  day.  On  their  way  in  returning  to  the  ship 
towards  mght,  they  were  attacked  by  the  natives,  in  two  canoes ;  the 
one  carrymg  fourteen  men,  and  the  other  twelve.  A  skirmish  ensued, 
in  which  one  of  Hudson's  men,  named  John  Colman,  was  killed  by 
an  arrow,  which  struck  him  in  the  throat,  and  two  more  were 
wounded.  The  next  day  the  remains  of  Colman  were  interred  on  a 
point  of  land  not  far  from,  the  shio, 


OUTUNI   HUTOBT. 


15 


received  the  name  of  Colman's  Point;  and  which,  probably,  wai  tho 
iame  that  is  now  called  Sandy  Hook. 

"On  the  8th,  9th  and  10th  days  of  September,  Hudson  sUll  rode 

cautiously  at  anchor,  without  the  Narrows,  and  seems  to  have  been 

chiefly  employed  in  trading  with  the  natives,  and  in  guarding  against 

any  insidious  attacks  which  might  have  been  meditated  by  them,  and 

which  h«  evidently  feared.     On  the  11  th,  he  sailed  through  the 

Narrows,  and  found,  as  the  writer  of  the  journal  expresses  it,  ♦  a  very 

good  harbor  for  all  winds.'    On  the  12th,  he  first  entered  the  river 

which  bears  his  name,  and  sailed  up  about  two  leagues.    On  these 

two  days  the  ship  was  viwted  by  great  numbers  of  the  natives,  who 

brought  Indian  com,  beans,  tobacco,  and  oysters,  in  abundance,  and 

exchanged  them  for  such  trifles  as  the  ship's  company  were  disposed 

to  garter.     They  had  pipes  of  'yellow  copper,'  in  wWch  they 

smoked.     Ihey  had  also  various  ornaments  of  copper;  and  earthen 

pots,  in  which  they  dressed  their  meat.    But,  although  they  were 

civil,  as  the  writer  of  the  journal  tells  us,  and  'made  show  of  love,' 

Hudson  did  not  think  proper  to  trust  them ;  and  by  no  means  would 

suffer  any  of  them  to  remain  on  board  during  the  night. 

"From  the  12th  to  the  22d  of  September,  Hudson  was  employed 
m  ascending  the  river.  The  journal  represents  it  in  general  about  a 
mile  wide,  and  of  a  good  depth,  abounding  with  fish,  among  which 
were  'great  store  of  salmons.'  As  he  advanced,  he  found  the  land 
SI-  if-  u*?®"  S^^wing  higher,  until  it  became  'very  mountainous.' 
Ihis  high  land,  it  is  observed,  'had  many  points;  the  channel  was 
narrow,  and  there  were  many  eddy  winds.'  In  his  passage  up  the 
river,  the  natives  frequently  came  on  board  of  his  ship,  and  sometimes 
"*  considerable  numbers,  but  always  in  an  amicable  manner. 

"  Hudson  appears  to  have  sailed  up  the  river  a  httle  above  where 
the  city  of  Hudson  now  stands;  and  beyond  that  point,  he  himself 
never  ascended.  Not  considering  it  as  safe  to  proceed  farther  with 
his  ship,  he  sent  a  boat  with  five  hands,  (the  mate,  who  had  the 
command  of  the  expedition,  being  one,)  to  explore  and  sound  the  river 
higher  up.    The  boat  proceeded  eight  or  nine  leagues  beyond  where 

A*u^A^^  u* ^^^^^ '  ^"*  ^*^"8  ^^^  soundings  extremely  irregular, 
and  the  depth,  m  some  places,  not  more  than  seven  feet,  it  was  judged 
unadvisable  to  attempt  any  farther  progress.  It  is  evident,  from  the 
whole  account,  that  the  boat  went  as  far  as  where  the  city  of  Albany 
now  stands.  ^ 

"  It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  farther  they  went  up  the  river, 
the  more  friendly  and  hospitable  the  natives  appeared.  After  they 
had  passed  the  highlands,  the  writer  of  the  journal  observes :  '  There 
we  found  a  very  loving  people,  and  very  old  men;  and  were  well 
used.  On  the  18th  of  September,  when  the  ship  was  lying  about 
twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  below  the  present  situation  of  Albany, 
the  mate,  it  is  farther  observed, '  went  on  shore  ynth  an  old  savage, 
a  goivernor  of  the  country,  who  took  him  to  his  house  and  made  Km 
good  cheer.  At  this  place  the  savages  flocked  on  board  the  ship  in 
-.-..„.„v.„„,u  uOmwviB,  uxiiigiug  wuh  mem  com,  tobacco,  pumpkins, 


16 


OUTLINI    HISTORY. 


and  grapes  and  some  of  thorn  beavor  and  ottor  «kini,  which  they 
exchangca  fiir  hntchots,  knives,  beads,  and  other  triHea.  On  the  20th 
01  September,  Hudson  and  his  crew,  for  the  purpose  of  making  an 
expenmenton  the  temper  of  the  Indians,  attempted  to  make  a  number 
of  their  principal  men  drunk.  But  though  they  'were  all  merry.' 
as  the  journalist  expresses  it,  only  one  of  them  appears  to  have  been 
completely  mtoxicated.  This  phenomenon  excited  great  surprise 
and  alarm  among  his  companions.  They  knew  not  what  to  make 
of  It,  and  It  was  not  unUl  the  next  day,  when  he  had  completely  re- 
covered,  that  they  jecame  composed.  Thii,  so  far  as  we  know, 
-nil^l  instance  of  intoxication  by  ardent  spirits,  among  the  Indi- 
^^^^T"  ^S^^ir^^  A.  .encan  continent.  It  is  very  remaFkable  that 
among  the  Six  Nations  there  is  a  tradition,  still  very  distinctly  pre- 
served,  of  a  scene  of  mtoxication  which  occurred  with  a  company  of 

the  natives  when  the  ship  first  arrived On  the  22d  oftho 

month,  confidence  on  the  part  of  the  natives  being  restored,  a  number 
pi  their  chiefs  came  on  board  the  ship  as  she  lay  at  anchor.     This 

JTor  r/TT  lu*  "^"l^r  f  ^^"^  P°""^^'  '^^^^'•'^es  >n  the  following  man- 
ner.  A  three  o  clock  in  the  afternoon  they  came  on  board,  and 
brought  tobacco  and  beans,  and  gave  them  to  our  master,  and  made 
an  oration,  and  showed  him  all  the  coiuitry  round  about.  Then  they 
sent  one  of  their  company  on  land,  who  presently  returned  and  brought 
a  great  patter  of  venison,  dressed  by  themselves;  and  they  caused 
him  to  eat  with  them.  Then  they  maJe  him  reverence  and  departed.' 
un  the  23d  of  September,  Hudson  began  to  descend  the  river. 
Un  his  way  down,  his  men  went  frequently  on  shore,  and  had  several 

^uILu  ^u^^^^'f"^"  "^'^^  ^^^  »^*'^<^«'  "^^"^  expressed  a  desire 
that  they  might  reade  among  them ;  and  mcde  Ihem  an  offer  of  lands 
lor  that  purpose.  But  when  the  ship  came  below  the  highlands,  the 
savages  appeared  to  be  of  a  different  character,  andVer!  eremely 
troublesome ;  especaally  those  who  inhabited  the  western  side  of  the 
river.  They  attempted  to  rob  the  ship,  and  repeatedly  shot  at  the 
crew  with  bdws  ana  arrows  from  several  points  of  land.  Hudson's 
men  discharged  several  muskets  at  them,  and  killed  ten  or  twelve  of 
them.  In  these  cohflicts,  which  were  frequently  renewed  during  the 
first  ajid  second  days  of  October,  none  of  the  ship's  crew  appears  to 

Its  niouth,  was  called  by  the  natives  *  Manna-hatta.' 
«,i!-  K  »,    1   ^i^^day  of  October,  (just  one  month  from  the  day    • 
which  he  landed  withm  Sandy  Hook,)  Hudso.)  came  out  of  the  riv.. 
which  bears  his  name;  and  without  anchoring  in  the  bay,  imn 
ately  stood  out  to  sea.    By  twelve  o'clock  at  noon  that  day  he  was 
entirdy  clear  of  land     He  steered  directly  for  Europe ;  and  on  the 
9th  of  November  following  he  ♦  arrived,'  as  the  writer  of  the  journal 
foSfends     "         '"^^^        Dartmouth.  Devonshire.'    Here  the 

.lJl^^^^^^^^"'^''''\^^"'?'*'*^^^^^'y '^"^^^  ^"  England,  cannot  now  be 
clearly  ascertainea :  b.U  A  apr-ears  that  he  left  tliat  country  in  April, 
1610,  and  reached  the  ;.merican  coast  eariy  ia  the  summer.    He 


OUTLINB    UMTOtr. 


IT 


■oon  ducovered  tho  ffreat  northern  bay  which  bears  his  name.  There, 
after  an  unwise  dehy,  he  was  compelled  to  pais  a  distressing  and 
dangerous  wmter.  In  the  spring,  in  addition  to  all  his  other  misfor- 
tunes, he  found  a  spirit  of  dissatisfaction  and  mutiny  growing  amonff 
his  crew,  and  at  length  manifesting  itself  in  open  violence.  This 
proceeded  so  far,  that  on  the  22d  of  June,  1611,  a  majority  of  the 
crew  arose,  took  command  of  the  ship,  put  Hudson,  his  son,  and  seven 
others,  moit  of  whom  were  sick  or  lame,  into  a  boat,  turned  them 
adrift  in  the  ocean,  and  abandoned  them  to  their  fate.  They  never 
were  heard  of  more. 

"i^^m^"  t''*  "°^  fi^'^*  **'■  °^^  "*"™®  ^^  t^o  "ver  which  he  disco v- 
*^  ;  I  ,''"'q>'"w  Indians  called  it  Cahohatatea.  The  Mahicans, 
Maha  an'gutv, ,  imd  sometimes  Shatemuck.  Hudson  styled  it  em- 
phaticujy  ihe  'Great  River,'  or  the  'Great  River  of  the  Mountains;' 
no  d(ubt  '-om  the  extraordinary  circumstance  of  such  a  body  of 
wnter  flowing  through  the  mountains  without  a  cataract  The  name 
of  i^j  discoverer,  however,  was  early  attached  to  it.  I  find  it  familiarly 
ca  led  Hudson's  river,  in  some  of  the  public  documents  of  the  Dutch 
colonic  government ;  but  more  frequently  the  North  river,  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  Delaware,  which  was  discovered  by  the  same 
navigator,  and  which  being  within  the  territory  claimed  by  the  Dutch 
was  called  by  them  the  South  river. 

"  The  Dutch  immediately  began  to  avail  themselves  of  the  advan- 
tage which  the  discovery  of  Hudson  presented  to  their  view.  In 
1610,  It  appears  that  at  least  one  ship  was  sent  hither  by  the  East  In- 
dia Company,  for  the  purpose  of  trading  in  furs,  which  it  is  well  known 
continued  for  a  number  of  years  to  be  the  principal  object  of  com- 
mercial attraction  to  this  part  of  the  new  world.  In  1614,  a  fort  and 
trading-houBe  were  erected  on  the  spot  where  Albany  now  stands, 
and  called  tort  Orange ;  and  about  the  same  time  another  fort  and 
trading-house  were  established  on  the  southwest  point  of  Manhattan 
Island,  and  called  New  Amsterdam.  The  whole  colony  received 
the  name  of  New  Netherlands."— IfiV.  Discourse  bm  Samuel  Milkr, 
D.  D.,  vol.  I.  Coll.  New  York  Hist.  Soc. 

In  1621,  "the  Privileged  West  India  Company"  was  formed  in 
Holland  ;  this  company  in  1623  began  its  operations  along  the  Hud- 
son, with  a  direct  view  to  colonization.  A  number  of  settlers  durine 
this  year  were  sent  out,  under  the  command  of  Comelis  Jacobse  Mey 
who  were  most  heartily  welcomed  by  the  few  previous  inhabitants.' 
Ji( !  jre  these  arrived  they  had  been  two  years  without  supplies,  and 
had  been  obliged  to  cut  up  the  sails  of  some  of  their  boats  for  neces- 
sary clothing.  In  compliment  to  Capt.  Mey,  they  named  the  bay  of 
New  York  Port  Mey.  During  the  same  year  the  forts  New  Amster- 
dam  and  Oranc'c  were  erected,  upon  the  sites  of  the  present  cities  of 
New  York  and  Albany. 

In  1625,  the  West  India  Company  freighted  two  ships,  in  one  of 
which  Peter  Minuit  arrived  in  New  Netherland,  with  a  company  of 
Waloons,  who  settled  on  Long  Island  opposite  New  Amsterdam. 
Mmuit  is  considered  by  some  as  the  first  Governor  or  Director  of 


f 


IS 


OUTLINE    HI8T0KT. 


New  Netherland.  Subordinate  to  him,  the  gradation  of  authority 
mid  rank  seems  to  have  been :  1.  OopevKoojman ;  2.  OnderS. 
man;  3.  Koopman;  4.  Assistant,  fhe  office  of  Opper-Koopman, 
chiet-merchant  or  commissary,  was  vested  in  Isaac  de  Raiser.  In 
four  or  five  year,  the  trade  with  the  natives  was  greatly  extended, 
attractmg  dealers  even  from  the  lakes,  and  from  the  banks  of  the  St 
Lawrence  near  Quebec. 

In  1629,  the  company  adopted  a  charter  of  «  Liberties  and  exemp- 
tions  for  patroons,  masters,  and  private  individuals,  who  should  plaS 
colonies  m  New  Netherland,  or  import  thither  any  neat  cattle."  The 
terms  of  encouragement  to  those  who  should  send  out  settlers,  were 
f^^A     f  «A  ^  ^  should  undertake  to  plant  a  colony  of  fifty  souls,  up- 
wards of  fifteen  years  old,  were  to  be  acknowledged  Patroons,  a  name 
denoting  somethmg  baronial  and  lordly  in  rank  and  means.     Thev 
were  allowed  to  select  lands  for  miles  in  extent,  which  should  descend 
to  their  posterity  for  ever.     Under  this  charter,  several  directors  of 
the  company  determined  to  avail  themselves  of  these  privileges 
among  whom  were  Samuel  Goodyn,  Samuel  Bloemart,  Killian  fan 
Rensselaer,  the  Heer  Pauw,  and  Jan  de  Laet.     These  persons  sent 
roL]!v      H  y^  Twiller,  as  agent,  to  inspect  the  condition  of  the 
Sem^nr        P"^^^^'^  *^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^he  natives  for  the  purpose  of 

ifi^^i'S  w'^^T  **i'^"''^r^'''^f,'  ^"  *^®  ^°^°°y»  Minuit  was  recalled  in 
1633,  and  Wouter  Van  Twiller  was  appointed  in  his  place.    The 
tw?;      Van  Twiller,  as  governor,  gave  a  fresh  impulse  to  the  set- 
tiements.     During  his  administration,  the  controversy  occasioned  bv 
the  encroachments  of  the  English  was  begun.     In  1638,  William 
Kieft  succeeded  Van  Twiller  as  governor  of  New  Netherland.    In 
„n  ft.   1  ^^  ^/P/-^^  ^u''^*''^  settlement  on  Long  Island,  and  fitted 
Sir  fT  *°  1*^"'^^  S^^"™  °"*  °^**^^  Schuvlkill,  of  which  they  had 
possessed  themsdves.     In  1643^  the  New  England  colonies  entered 
mto  a  league  both  agamst  the  Dutch  and  Indies.     In  1646,  a  severe 
battle  was  foug|t  on  part  of  Strickland's  Plam,  called  Horse  Neck 
between  the  Dutch  and  Indians.     There  appears  not  to  ha?e  been 
any  particulars  of  the  action  preserved  ;  but  it  is  said  the  battle  was 
contested  with  mutual  obstinacy,  and  great  numbers  were  killed  on 
i«!?-  J}^  P"*^*"  ultimately  remained  masters  of  the  field. 
In  1647,  Peter  Stuyvesant  arrived  at  Fort  Amsterdam,  as  govern- 
or.      He  was  a  brave  old  officer,  and  had  been  commissioned  gov- 
fo  „^fT"?'^'^°^  ^7^"^^  ^''^}^^  ^"*^^  West  Indies.    He  laid  claim 
S.nt .    H  ""5'  ^I"^  '?^/'"'  ^'^"^  ^^P^  Henlopen  to  Cape  Cod  ;  he 
went  to  Hartford,  and  demanded  a  surrender  trthe  Dutch  of  all  the 
ands  on  Comiecticut  river.     These  claims  were  opposed,  and  left  to 

mrt  w«f  ^^n  U  k'u  T"T  t"".^  J^'^"^  ^^«  diviS^d :  the  eastern 
ffj-  lu  \^^^i  ^y  ^^^  ^"Slish,  the  western  by  the  Dutch  ;  'o 
the  mam,  the  boundaries  were  amicably  adjusted. 

New  Nrtl?.^?'  '^^""^  England,  disregarding ^the  Dutch  claim  on 
New  Netherland,  made  a  grant  to  his  brother,  tfie  Duke  of  York  and 
Albany,  which  included  all  the  mamland  of  xNew  England,  beghi- 


OUTLINE    HIBTORT. 


1» 


mug  at  St.  Croix,  extending  to  the  rivers  Connecticut  and  Hudson, 
"  together  with  the  said  river  called  Hudson's  river,  and  all  the  lands 
from  the  west  side  of  Connecticut  river,*  to  the  east  side  of  Delaware 
Bay."  In  order  to  enforce  this  claim  of  England  for  the  New  Nether- 
land,  an  expedition,  consisting  of  three  ships,  130  guns,  and  six  hun- 
dred ntien,  was  sent  against  it,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Richard 
Nichols.  On  his  arrival  at  Manhattan,  Nichols  demanded  the  sur- 
render  of  the  fort.  Gov.  Stuy  vesant  was  exceeding  loth  to  surrender 
without  an  attempt  at  defence,  but  the  favorable  terms  offered  to  the 
inhabitants  disposed  them  to  an  immediate  capitulation.  After  some 
fruitless  negotiation,  during  which  Gov.  Stuyvesant  pleaded  the  justice 

J  u*' r^  ■  States-General,  and  the  existing  peace  between  them 
and  the  English  nation,  the  province  was  surrendered,  Augiast  27th, 
1664,  upon  the  most  liberal  terms  to  the  vanquished. 

Having  taken  possession  of  the  country,  Nichols  assumed  the  gov- 
ernment, with  the  title  of  "  Deputy-governor  under  his  royal  high- 
ness  the  Duke  of  York,  of  all  his  territories  in  America."  New 
Amsterdam  was  now  called,  in  honor  of  the  Duke,  New  York,  and 
Fort  Orange,  Albany.  Gov.  Nichols  proceeded  to  erect  a  Court  of 
Assizes,  consisting  of  the  governor,  council,  and  justices  of  the  peace 
Ihis  court  compiled  a  body  of  laws,  collected  from  the  ancient  cus- 
toms and  usages,  with  additional  improvements,  such  as  the  times 
required,  regarding  English  law  as  the  supreme  rule.  These  ordi- 
nances were  sent  to  England,  and  confirmed  by  the  Duke  of  York  the 
following  year. 

It  is  supposed  that,  at  the  time  Nichols  took  possession  of  the 
province,  the  Dutch  inhabitants  were  about  6000  in  number.  New 
Amsterdam,  the  metropolis,  it  is  said,  contained  about  3000  persons, 
about  half  of  whom  returned  to  Holland.  Their  habitations,  however, 
were  soon  occupied  by  emigrants,  partly  from  Great  Britain,  but 
mostly  from  New  England.  Upon  Hudson  river  there  were  many 
Dutch  settlers ;  and  upon  the  shores  of  the  Delaware,  there  were 
numerous  plantations  of  Dutch  and  Swedes. 

Col.  Nichols,  after  having  governed  the  province  about  three  years, 
resigned  his  office,  and  Col.  Francis  Lovelace  was  appointed  by  the 
duke  to  succeed  him.  Lovelace  assumed  the  government  m  1667, 
and  continued  his  administration  till  the  colony  was  re-surrendered 
to  the  Dutch.  Way  having  been  declared  against  Holland,  a  small 
squadron  was  sent  over  by  the  Dutch,  which  arrived  at  Staten  Island 
July  30th,  1673.  Lovelace  being  absent  from  New  York,  Captain 
Manning,  who  had  the  charge  of  the  town,  rejected  the  aid  of  the 
English  inhabitants,  who  offered  to  defend  the  place,  sent  a  messenger 
to  the  enemy,  and  struck  his  flag  before  their  vessels  appeared  in 
sight.  As  the  fleet  advanced,  the  garrison  showed  their  willingness 
to  fight ;  but  Manning  forbade  a  gun  to  be  fired,  under  pain  of  death, 
and  surrendered  the  place  unconditionally  to  the  invaders.  He  was 
alterwards  tried  by  a  court-martial,  and  pleaded  guilty  to  all  the 
ciiarges  preierred.  His  sentence  was  as  extraordinary  as  his  con- 
duct ;  It  was,  that,  "  though  he  deserved  death,  yet,  because  he  had 


20 


OUTUNB    UISTORT. 


wnce  the  suirender  been  in  Eneland,  and  seen  the  king  and  duke,  n 
was  adjudged  that  his  sword  sLuld  be  broke  over  his\ead,  in  pib- 
he,  before  the  City  Hall ;  and  himself  rendered  incapable  of  wearing 
a  sword,  and  of  serving  his  majesty  for  the  future,  in  any  pubUc  trust 
in  the  government  ««««•. 

Anthony  Clove  was  constituted  the  Dutch  govenior,but  he  remained 
m  the  office  but  a  short  period.  A  treaty  of  peace,  in  1674.  was 
concluded  between  the  Dutch  and  English,  by  ^Jhich  New  Nether- 
S.r"  '^''^''^  *?  the  English.  Thf  Duke  of  York,  to  7emove  all 
W  ?Kf  ?^  respecting  his  propertv  in  America,  took  out  a  new  patent 
S.»  V  f  '  '^i  commissioned  Major  ^<dmund  Andros  "  Governor 
«L  f  /  J  '  ""^  ^^  *"'  temtories  in  these  parts."  Andros,  as  the 
agent  ot  a  despotic  master,  was  unpopular  to  the  people  under  his 
government,  and  mvolved  himself  In  disputes  with  the  neighboring 
government  of  Connecticut  g"wring 

fn„?tnr^5f  °f  New  York,  about  the  year  1678,  contained  twenty- 
tour  towns,  viUages,  and  parishes.  Fifteen  vessels,  on  an  average, 
?3ue  o^T^iSf*"  f^^'f'^^  i^l>ortmg  English  manufactures  to  tie 
I^rk  M        •^j'*^';^"'^-     ^*?  ^"^^  ^^I^'t*'  besides  pease,  beef, 

owTJS  oL^K  ^  ''%''^  ^T  ^?'^  contam^d  3,430  inhabitants,  and 
ZJth  A*'''^^  ''**'?^'  ^'Sht  sloops,  and  seven  boats.  «  A  tider 
wnrfh  Jll?  ♦J'f  considered  a  substantial  merchant;  and  the  planter, 
worth  ha^f  that  sum  m  movables,  was  accounted  rich.  All  the  es- 
tates in  the  colony  were  valued  at  £150,000.  Ministers  were  scarce, 
aiid  religions  many.  The  duke  maintained  a  chaplain  at  New  York 
which  was  the  only  certain  endowment  of  the  church  of  England 
h«lf  l'^^'"''  ^^''"*  *TJr*5:  ^^^'"es  for  public  worship,  of  which  about 
half  were  vacant  The  law  made  it  obhgatory  u^n  every  disUdct 
to  build  churches,  and  provide  for  their  ministers,  whose  cTmp^Sa- 

But  the  Presbyterians  and  Independents,  the  greater  and  mo?e  sub- 
^mnlv  ^Tr^  the  inhabitants,  only,  showfd  much  willin^ess  to 
comply  with  the  requisition.  There  were  no  beggars  in  the  province, 
^iS^  T/nT^'^  '^*"  '^^'^d  ^°^-    The  militii\mounted  to  2000 

for  ttti  ♦  A^if™^"'  n^  '""T  ^eg^«'  t^««Ps  were  maintamed 
lor  the  forts  at  Albany  and  New  York.^ 

th^  il*""™^"*-  P*"!?^^.  ^T''^**  ^*  Ne^  York,  in  August  1683,  as 
lS^„«f  f  fif  °^  ^"^'^' '"  the  government  He  immelately.  on  the 
hTSlu  K  ^  r«''fu^*^r^/^^  York,  gave  orders  that  an  assem- 
bhr  should  be  elected  by  the  freeholders.  ^This  assembly,  consisting 
oi  a  council  of  ten,  and  eighteen  representatives,  convened  atHemiv 
stead  on  the  17th  of  (pctober.  They  passed  an  ait  of  general  nature^ 
nn«  r  5  ""^^^t  declaring  the  Kberties  of  the  people,  or  a  Bill  of  Rights ; 
Sfn?*h-T"'^.*^^^-^PTl°^  government;  and  a  few  others,  regu- 
iomf  ♦  .il"*T^  ^^'"^  f  *^^  P'^^^^ee.  In  1686,  James  II.  having 
tXVfil  *5^°°e' on  the  renewal  of  Gov.  Dongan's  commission, 
retused  to  confirm  the  privileges  granted  when  he  was  Duke  of  York 
.«e  a3se«ii,!y  was  prohibiled,  auu  orders  were  given  to  Dongan  to 


GOV.  STUYVESANT. 

Copied  from  an  engraving  in  "  Watson's  Olden  Times  la  New  York." 


DESTRUCTION  OF  SCHENECTADY 

By  a  party  of  French  and  Indians  from  Montreal,  Feb.  1689.     (See  page  32.i ) 


( 


..^" 


.,^ 


V, 


n. 


V 


\ 


n 


QUTUNI    BMTOBY. 


91 


**  suffer  no  prinHng.pres8  in  his  government."  Much  disaffection 
arose  at  this  time,  ampng  the  colonists,  on  account  of  the  appointment 
of  professed  Catholics  to  the  principal  crown  offices.  At  this  period 
there  were  in  the  province  4000  foot,  800  horse,  and  one  company 
of  dragoons.  The  shipping,  belonging  to  the  city  of  New  York,  had 
increased  to  nine  or  ten  three-masted  vessels,  of  about  80  or  00  tons ; 
200  or  800  kstches  or  barks,  of  40  tons ;  and  about  twenty  sloops, 
of  twenty-five  tons.  , 

In  1687,  the  French  court  auned  a  blow,  which  threatened  the 
British  interests  in  North  America.  M.  Denonville,  with  1500  French 
and  600  Indians,  took  the  field  against  the  Senecas,  one  of  tiie  ccm- 
federated  tribes  of  the  **Five  Nations,"  who  were  the  firiends  of  the 
English.  An  action  took  place  near  the  principal  Seneca  villu»,  in 
which  100  Frenchmen,  ten  French  Indians,  and  about  eighty^  the 
Senecas  were  killed.  Denonville,  the  next  day,  marched  forward  to 
bum  the  village,  but  found  it  in  ashes.  The  Senecas  had  burnt  it, 
and  fled.  After  destroyinff  the  com  in  this  and  several  other  villages, 
the  French  retumed  to  Canada.  For  this  attack,  and  other  outrages 
committed  by  the  French,  the  confederated  Five  Nations  thirsted  for 
revenge.  «  On  the  26th  of  July,  1688,  twelve  hundied  of  their  men 
landed  on  the  south  side  of  the  island  of  Montreal,  while  the  French 
were  in  perfect  security,  burnt  their  houses,  sacked  their  plantations, 
and  put  to  the  sword  all  the  men,  women,  and  cl^dren,  without  the 
skirts  of  the  town.  A  thousand  French  were  slain  in  this  invasion, 
and  twenty-six  carried  into  captivity,  and  burnt  alive.  Many  more 
were  taken  prisoners  in  another  attack,  in  October,  and  the  lower  part 
of  the  island  wholly  destroyed ;  only  three  of  the  confederates  were 
lost,  in  all  this  scene  of  misery  and  desolation."  Nothmg  but  the 
ienorance  of  the  Indians,  in  the  art  of  attacking  fortified  places,  saved 
Canada  from  being  utterly  cut  oflT. 

In  1688,  it  was  determmed  to  add  New  York  and  the  Jerseys  to 
the  jurisdiction  of  New  England,  and  Sir  Edmjmd  Andros  was  ap- 

e)mted  captain-general  and  vice-admiral  over  the  whole.  Gk)vemor 
ongan  was  removed  from  his  office  of  governor,  and  Francis  Nichol- 
son, who  had  been  lieutenant-governor  under  him,  was  appointed  in  his 
stead.  The  constitution,  established  on  this  occasion,  was  a  legisla- 
tive and  executive  governor,  and  a  council,  who  were  appointed  by 
the  king,  without  the  consent  of  the  people.  The  news  of  the  acces- 
sion of  William  and  Mary,  in  1689,  to  the  throne  of  England,  was 
ioyfully  received  in  New  York.  Andros,  the  tyrant  of  New  Eng- 
land, was  seized  at  Boston.  Jacob  Leisler,  with  forty-nine  men, 
seized  the  fort  at  New  York,  and  held  it  for  the  protestant  king  and 
queen  of  England. 

Leisler's  assumption  of  the  command  at  New  York  excited  a  spirit 
of  envy  and  hatred  among  many  of  the  people,  at  the  head  of  whom 
were  Col.  Bayard  and  the  Mayor,  who,  unable  to  make  any  eflectual 
resistance,  retired  to  Albany.  A  letter  arriving  from  the  English 
ministry,  addressed  "  To  Francis  Nioholann  V.an  r.^  ;«  v.:-  ..k-® — 
to  such  afl,  tor  the  time  being,  take  care  for  preserving  the  peace  and 


? 


^ 


OUTLINB    HltTOXT. 


administering  the  laws  in  his  majesty's  provmce  of  New  York  &c  •» 
t^LTl  thing  pertaining  to  the  office  of  lieutenant-governor,  tUI 
\T^ZulAr~^''^''l'^''  having  absconded.  Leisler  considered  the 

S letter  as  addressed  to  himself,  and  accordingly  assumed  the  office  of 
jemor.    The  pope  of  Albany,  though l^endly  to  WiUuSi  aS 

toS Jtrh'"^^**^?  'Z  ^^^^''  '^^^y  ^«r«  hiwevetcon^Sd 
S  U  w  '^  *"'  f  "*^?"*^  ^y  ^.^""^^  ^o^*'^  "°<*«^  Milbom,  his  son- 
m-law.    The  colonists  contmued  in  a  state  of  contention  nearly  two 

?J2^„,£"^i*'u  ^"^""^l  ^^  ?'^°^*»  ^^  ^*«««  from  CanaV  in 
iSdtr^         Schenectady,  and  massacred  sixty  men,  women,  wid 

fa  1691,  Col.  HenrrSloughter  arrived  at  New  York,  as  governor 
of  heprovmce ;  which  was,  at  this  time,  by  an  act  of  the  assemblv 

fiH^£"2f """  *'""?*r  The  arbitrary  ictLf  James  wSe/e^^^^^^ 
and  the  former  pnvileges  of  the  colonists  were  restored.  Leisler 
and  Milbortii,  having  made  a  foolish  attempt  to  retain  their  authority, 
were  imprisoned  on  a  charge  of  high  treason.  They  were  tried  by 
LS^  commission,  and  sentenceaf  to  suffer  death.  Gov.  Sloughter 
S.rJ?^  A-  ^?"»^/*  their  execution,  and  wrote  to  the  English  min- 
he^il  n/fv''**'''  ,  w  '^  *r '^  °^  *^^'"-    Their  enemies,  fearing 

the  r  execution.  "The  governor  resisted,  until,  having  beei  mvited 
Dy  the  petiUoners  to  a  sumptuous  entertainment,  he  was,  when  his 
^ZZZ.^^-  "^  wine,  seduced  to  sign  the  death-warrant! 
Betore  he  recovered  his  senses,  the  pnsoners  were  executed."  Sloueh- 

lent'i^'nJSsSif  '''^' ''"'  "^'  ''''''  ^  ^^^^  ^'^  -^  '-^^-^ 
^o^r^A^^  death  or  Sloughter,  the  government,  pursuant  to  the  late 
mln  tn  rT^^^*  "g**?  ^^  S?  P^°P^^'  committed  the  chief  com- 
^,Sllnf  r'^^^W^'Jir-   ?'^  authority  was  terminated  by  the 
arrival  of  Col.  Benjamm  Fletcher,  who  arrived  with  the  commission 
of  governor,  m  August,  1692.    Fletcher  is  represented  as  a  man  of 
violent  temper,  sh^ow  capacity,  and  avaricious  disposition.     He 
made  considerable  disturbance,  by  his  efforts  to  establish  the  Episco- 
pal  form  of  church  government  in  the  province.    By  virtue  of  a  rom 
mission  which  he  held,  Fletcher  attem'pted  to  take^thTcommLdTf 
the  mihtia  of  Connecticut;  and  went  to  Hartford,  in  that  colony, 
while  the  legislature  were  m  session,  to  compel  obedience.    While 
attempting  to  have  his  commission  read  to  the  train-bands  at  that 
Place,  Capt.  Wadsworth,  their  senior  officer,  ordered  the  drums  to 
beat,  and  told  Fletcher,  who  commanded  "  silence,"  that  if  he  was 
mterrupted  he  would  «  make  the  sun  shine  through  him."    Fletcher 
upon  this  desisted,  and  returned  to  New  York.  "eicner 

Early  in  1693,  Count  Frontenac,  with  a  force  of  6  or  700  French 
and  Indians,  made  an  incursion  into  the  Mohawk  country,  and  sur, 
prised  an  Indian  village  on  the  river,  slew  many  of  the  mhabitants. 
and  took  300  prisoners.  Col.  Schuyler  hastened  to  the  S«ice  of 
his  a  lies,  and  with  about  300  Indians,  mostly  boys,  followed  the  re^ 
e s  -.s^...j,  ««a  sTjTcicu  BauHiisiics  cnsuea.     When  the  French 


m 


mi 


OUTUNI    HUTOBT.  fQ 

reached  the  north  branch  of  Hudson's  river,  a  cake  of  ice  opportunely 
served  them  to  cross  it ;  and  Schuyler,  who  had  retaken  aW  fifty 

KT  1*'"£f^  ^^"""^  ^^^.  P'^r*-     T*»«  P""c*»'  in  this  expedition, 
lost  about  eighty  men,  and  such  virere  their  sufferings,  that  they  were 

SZ^t?^''  ?'il*!f-'  ""T^^^^ '  ^^^  ^'^"°'«'  w^"e  in  pursSit,  fed 

^f^^hl  A         ♦      i^*  ?^  ^^^'J  ^"^'"^^'-    'n  ^«96,  FrontJnac  made 

Sff  .?  <*««^n*' ^»tj  a  li?i^g?  force,  and  spread  devastation  among  the 

possessions  of  the  Five  Nations.    After  this  expedition,  the  l4ians 

n  the  English  interest  continued  to  harass  the  inhabitants  nea^Mon. 

^eal,  and  similar  parties  in  the  French  interest  to  harass  those 

near  Albany,  until  the  peace  of  Ryswick,  in  1697 

Piif.i!^^®'^'^^^'*'^'  ^^-^y  Bellamont,  arrived  as  the  successor  of 

KPtt«  «n^  ^   ^»V°  u""'^''^'"^^"^^^  ^^  governments  of  Massachu- 

ki^rZj^hnN.^f^''  "'l-^'  '^'  '*"^^'^«  brought  with  himhis 

n^tTS^^  •  ^    r^^*"'  ^'  iieutenant-govemor.    Piracy,  at  this  tune, 

K^f  i"*  f^«>™«'^«^«  «eas  to  a  great  extent,  and  the  inSbiS 

«  f  T  ?lu ''^°"'^'  "^T  *^^"«^^  °^  giving  the  pirates  aid.    The  most 

noted  of  these  marauders  was  a  Captain  \idd,  the  remembra^cTof 

nf?h?  S«  '  1  .^  '"PP""®'*  P'J^^^y  "^^  °"«  «^  the  avowed  purposes 
ritvnf  fe""  I't p  n^  ^  man  of  the  high  rank,  resolution,  aKteg! 
nty  of  theEarl  of  Bellamont.  The  earl  died  in  1701,  and  Nanfan,  the 
heutenant-govemor,  assumed  the  command.  Loyd  CombSr^  ™ 
apoomted  governor  the  following  year.  vvomoury  was 

in&l^f  ^^^^?*u*"u  ^**?^?*'^*^**°  bvespousmg  oneof  the  factions 
Si«nn  T  "^^""^  ^H  '^'  "^  ^"°™  ^^^^'^  ^ho  was  executed  foj 
thf  fS'o  ^1*  ^"®*  of  outrageous  acts,  he  endeavored  to  establish 
tl  fc'^P^^  P-*^y-  ?^  prohibited  the  Dutch  ministers  and  teach- 
ers  from  exercising  their  functions  without  his  special  Ucense/^d 
mprisoncd  son^  of  them  for  disobeying  his  orders.^TWs  S  ™ 

?Hfrc?'Z  •  ^  I^'  ?•"'*  of  Clarenionf  and  first-cousin  ofC™ 

Having  dissipated  his  substance  in  riot  and  debauchery,  and^in^ 

compelled  to  fly  from  his  creditors,  he  obtamed  from  W  pXon  Sf 

government  of  New  York,  which  was  confirmed  by  Se  qCn  who 

^:tl"  g^7™^*  °f  Ne^  Jersey.  His  charactS  isTortkTed 
as  a  compound  of  bigotry  and  intolerance,  rapacity  and  prodigX 
voluptuousness  and  cruelty,  united  with  the  loftiest  arroganifMid 
the  meanest  chicane."  rfis  dissolute  habits  and  ignowfTiLT« 
completed  the  disgust  with  which  he  was  universalIy^ega?dT^^ 
when  he  was  seen  rambling  abroad  in  the  dress  of  a  womanXhe^t 
beheld  with  indignation  and  shame  the  representative  of  tbelr^ve 
reign  and  the  ruler  of  the  colony.  In  1709,  the  aueen  was  comSd 
Yorra^n"  N '  T'^««^°°.,^7  the  complaints  o?  the  people  o^^ew 
York  and  New  Jersey.    When  deprived  of  his  officii,  iSs  creditors 

ed  tn^th^  T2  V^u-  Prr*'"  /*"  ^^^  ^°^«"^ed,  where  he  reS 

.•    li  u?  ^^^^y,  ""^  ^'^  ^**her  elevated  liim  to  the  peerage  which 

entitled  him  to  liberation.  peerage,  wnicn 

-.,.  .„  ,„„  i^.vviuuc.  lyucemoer,  nm.    The  hopes  entertained, 


84 


OUTLINE   HMTOlr. 


b?  wi^rth  *nn  ^!;"*^*«^'  i.  *  ^apPy  admini.traUon,  were  frustrated 

mamtemed  a  thousand  of  their  wives  and  children  a?  aEwSc 

the  ministry  the  importance  of  suMjrC^^^^  Z^eWf 

a^ly  to  accomplish^  objecvhe  Tk*  wlTh  tm  Jve  SfS 
who  gave  Queen  Anne  assurances  of  their  fidelity,  a^dsSed  her 
assistance  against  their  common  enemies,  the  FrenchT 

Bn^er-general  Robert  Hunter,  a  native  of  Scotland  arrivpH  ... 
governor  of  Sie  province,  in  June,  1710.    He  brough?  with  SthrS 

trom  the  rage  of  persecution  m  Germany.  Many  of  these  neSrm. 
settled  m  the  city  of  New  York,  others  in  Livingston  Eor^n  ?^ 
lumbia  county,  while  others  went  into  PennsySj.  fo  nu  S^ 
assembly  of  ^ew  York,  in  order  to  assist  the  eTi^riseimder  Je 
command  of  Colonel  Nicholson  for  the  reduction  of^ciadTpas^d 
S  ^Z  InTr*  ?-^P5'./««tn<^ted  the  price  of  provisions,  and  K 
10,000/.  m  bills  of  credit,  to  be  redeemed  by  taxation  in  five  vears 
Nicholson  mustered  at  Albany  two  thousand^x>loniste!  one  IhoCd 

draasen  of  the  plaT-houaei  and  riven  bv  A«  ^„S^  k  ^^/^,  *««  directed  by  the 
them.  A  mow  tLSTSn^  SSfr.ZH«H'  7i^°  T  "^"T^  ^°  "'»''''  "  '^'^^  of 
Sir  Ch«le«  CottelTcooScS  tSSm  XH^he.  ^  tt"""  *'''  *"!?  f  ^r*""  '"'«««y- 
beriain  introduced  tbemtoto  Ae  roSl^nc«  ^Ji^  1  '^^'"^  '',1I^.**»  ^"^  Cham, 
i.  p«j«rved  by  01dmixoi^2.d  isKi^orf;  ■      *"  "''"^  °"  **  ^^*  °'^P"''  "10. 

could?r;«'^S;S^u^d«S.?'reeVou^^^  ''  r  """•«-««'" 

which  we  thought  a^ute^fto^o?  h°:i^?r^^^^^^^^ 

in:o^:ntS^S.trTha'iSfhe5ln^2^^^^^^ 

"i^irx^^^aistur'^itS^^  s?i::r;'-h^^; 

and  immediately,  in  i^^en  of^rienE,  wA^?   ^  T^°"  "T^  *°  "'^""  Canada ; 

either  of  which  will  be  muih  againat  our  iSitLal,  "'  habitations,  or  atand  neuter, 

moat  gracious  conaidenSoI"  '^     '  ''"'^  "^"^  «""*  'I"*""*''  '>'^<«".  l«"^v«  i' '« «>« 


OUTLINS   UIBTOKY.  «■ 

t^tt!S*1n'^/"^  ^"^"^^  Indians,  who  coimnenced  their  inarch 
-1^  f       K^^''!'^'  '*''®**  ^'®'"  ^s*''"  With  a  land  force  of  gix  thou- 

uiion  oeiore  viuebec.  The  admiral  arrived  in  the  St  LawrAirA 
early  in  August,  but  owing  to  fogs  and  tempestuous  wcaU^eneT/^^^^ 
nine  transports,  with  about  a  thousand  menVwerc  lost  by  shipwreck 
This  put  an  end  to  the  expedition,  and  the  admiral  saK  l£  Eiu^' 
land.  Nicholson,  who  had  proceeded  as  far  as  L„ko  tLn^  w£ 
compelled  to  retreat.  The  >eace  of  Utrecht,  siLn^^od  Marcr^ 
put  an  end  to  hostilities,  and  Sntinued  till  1739.  ^  ^       ^' 

provreTnira?H?hf  """^'"ri*  popular  admini«  -aUon.  left  the 
iirovmce  in  171»,  and  the  command  devolved  on  Colonel  Pn««r  ««i.„« 
fer.  In  September,  1720,  William  Burnor^n  o?  Uie  ce^br^ 
Burnet,  arnved  as  the  successor  of  Governor  HuiterSSiS^S 
nuJ^LTr  ^'^"  ^f  prosperous.  Soon  after  his  mSvaUbr  the 
purpose  of  securing  the  trade  and  friendship  of  the  Six  Na  ions  hi 
erected  a  tradmg-house  at  Oswego,  in  the  country  7the  Seias 

tmac  many  years  before.  The  persecutions  in  France  at  throeriod 
which  ensued  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  NantzXvc  iy^f  tt' 
Protestant  subjects  of  Louis  XIV.  into  foreign  countries     Manv  fled 

NewXSr-on^lTr^^'^^^*!?^^^ 
L'wKfuar'ti^tT  "^^^'^"'^^^"  ^^''^'  ^^--'ves  at 

netVe^sPal^."*^  ^""^"^  Montgomery  received  fr^om  Govenior  Bur- 
net  the  seal  of  the  province,  and  assumed  the  government.    His  short 

^rS  dS'  *'•  r/?^  '^^  ^^  '''^'^  '"  naif  waTSne  of  tran^u  1^ 
??Qi  ?i  ^^istinffuished  by  any  important  event.    During  his  term  hi 

acres  calSfLS?  ^''"'^  T!?  ^^e  Connecticut  side,  of  60,000 
SVr  nilth  S*'''"^'^^^  *^e?«d  to  the  former  in  consideratiok  of 
another  near  the  Sound,  surrendered  to  the  latter. 

Governor  Montgomery  was  succeeded  by  Rip  Van  Dam,  the  old- 
es  member  of  the  council,  and  an  eminent  mercLnt  of  the  city,  who 
rived    witf  ?""""'"'  ""^''^  '^"^"^*'  1732.  when  William  Cosby  ar^ 

Jersev  The  CnTT'^  ^T"^  *^'^'  ""^  '^^  W^^''^^^  of  iNew 
Jersey.     Ihe  French,  during  this  year,  erected  Fort  Frederic  at 

Crown  Point,  which  gave  to  them  the  command  of  Lake  ChamXif 
ouent  ;:«!!7  ''  '^'\P^'od  were  much  embarrassed;  whUe  the  S 
^  In  17^4'  IZ  «"PfrK™P°'"^  ^  ^^^^y  •'"^'^^^  "P««  the  colony, 
assembh  '  fc^?  ^''^"'T^^^^  "?""*  °*'  ^"^^'y  ^««  ^gi^^ted  in  the 
ceuor,  %,riicR  xxa«  at  uiiius  excrea^tiie  jealousy,  and  produced  much 


"»      '^  OCnilWl    RIBTOBT. 

controversy  among  the  colonists.  The  court  party  insisted  that  the 
governor  was,  ex  officio,  chancellor  of  the  colony,  while  the  popular 
party  warmly  opposed  this  position.  After  the  close  of  the  session, 
there  appeared  in  the  paper  called  "  Zenger's  JNew  York  Weekly 
Journal,  severe  animadversions  on  the  government.  Several  printed 
ballads  likewise  appeared,  which  ridiculed  some  of  the  members  of 
the  legislature.  The  governor  and  council  considering  the  subject 
worthy  of  notice,  voted  that  the  obnoxious  numbers  of  Zenger's 
paper,  and  two  printed  ballads,  were  derogatory  to  the  dignity  of  his 
majetty's  government,  and  tended  to  raise  sedition  and  tumult.  They 
likewise  voted  that  said  papers  and  ballads  should  be  burnt  by  the 
common  hangman.  Zenger  was  imprisoned  for  eight  months,  and 
much  ferment  was  produced  in  the  colony. 

"Governor  Cosby  died  in  March,  1736.  One  of  his  last  acts  was  the 
suspension  of  Rip  Van  Dam  from  his  seat  as  councillor  of  the  pro- 
vince. After  Cosby's  death,  the  council  immediately  convened,  and 
George  Clarke,  the  senior  councillor,  next  after  Rip  Van  Dam,  was 
declared  president,  and  assumed  the  government.  A  powerful  party, 
however,  was  formed  in  favor  of  Mr.  Van  Dam,  as  his  suspension 
from  the  council  was  by  many  declared  illegal.  The  sharp  contro- 
versy on  this  point  was  ended  in  October,  when  Mr.  Clarke  received 
his  commission  as  lieutenant-governor. 

During  the  administration  of  Governor  Clarke,  the  colony  was 
embroiled  in  controversies  principally  relating  to  the  prerogatives  of 
the  governor  on  one  hand,  and  the  rights  of  the  people  on  the  other. 
In  their  second  session,  1737,  the  house  departed  from  their  accus- 
tomed mode  of  proceeding,  and  instead  of  votmg  to  take  the  govern- 
or's speech  into  consideration,  voted  that  his  honor  the  lieutenant- 
governor  be  addressed.  This  address  is  a  remarkable  production 
for  the  times  in  which  it  was  formed.  On  the  subject  of  the  revenue, 
the  house  adopted  the  following  bold  and  energetic  language: 

"  The  true  cauBes  of  the  deficiency  in  the  revenue,  we  believe  are  too  well  known  to 
your  honor,  to  make  it  necessary  for  us  to  say  much  on  that  head.  Had  the  conspicuoua 
loyalty  of  the  mhabitants  of  this  province  met  with  a  suitable  treatment  in  return,  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  we  should  now  be  weak  enough  to  act  like  others  before  ua,  in  being  lavish 
beyond  our  abilities,  and  raising  sums  unnecessary  to  be  given,  and  continued  the  donation 
Wee  them  for  a  longer  time  than  what  was  convenient  for  the  safety  of  the  inhabitants;  but 
experience  has  nhown  the  imprudence  of  such  a  conduct;  and  the  miserable  condition  to 
which  the  prorace  is  reduced,  renders  the  raising  of  large  sums  very  difficult  if  not  imprao. 
ticable.  We  therefore  beg  leave  to  be  plain  with  your  honor,  and  hope  you  will  not  take  it 
amifls  when  we  tell  you,  that  you  are  not  to  expect  that  we  will  raise  sums  unfit  to  be 
raised,  or  put  what  we  shall  raise  into  the  power  of  a  governor  to  misapply,  if  we  can  pre^ 
vent  It ;  nor  shall  we  make  up  any  other  deficienciea  than  what  we  conceive  are  fit  and 
just  to  be  paid,  or  continue  what  support  or  revenue  we  shall  raise  for  any  longer  time  than 
one  year;  nor  do  we  think  it  convenient  to  do  even  that,  until  such  laws  are  passed  as  we 
conceive  necessary  for  the  safety  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  colony,  who  have  reposed  a  trust 
m  us  for  Uiat  only  purpose,  and  which  we  are  sure  you  will  think  it  reasonable  we  should 
act  fgreeable  to,  and  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  shall  endeavor  not  to  deceive  them." 

In  1738,  Captain  Norris,  of  the  ship  Tartar,  then  lying  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  made  application  to  the  mayor  for  liberty  to  impress  thirty 
seamen  to  man  his  vessel.  The  governor  and  council  ordered  the 
mayor  to  cause  the  impressment  to  be  made.    The  mavor  rfifnsA/l  to 


) 


i 


t.         CUTUlfM    HUTOXY. 


«7 


fc^Ji?*  ®'<*«'' and  t^ie  governor  and  council  prudenUy  declined  ta- 
king measurec  to  enforce  obedience.     At  the  close  of  rlarU'- «51- 
..tration  the  finances  of  the  colony  were' k  iTepSf  ^^^^^^^ 
^^  1^®'  «"  "^«''°  •'^^^«*'  wine,  rum,  brandy,  cocoa  ^dT; 

f2m?r";»dtr'^\r'i'  *"  ^«P^«^^^'  n'iaTamorted^S 

».^197  7s.  l^d.  only  ;  while  the  expenses  of  ffovemmenL  frvr  «L.!» 
the  same  period,  amounted  to  upwards  of  £4  oSJ"        ^        **^"* 
In  1743,  George  Clinton,  the  son  of  the  Earl  of  Lincoln  w<ui  ««. 
pointed  to  supersede  Mr.  Clarke  as  governor  of  thrcolonT     hE 
amva  was  highly  gratifying  to  the  cofonists,  and  a  s  Jri?of  Km^^ 
prevailed   In  1744,  war  was  declared  betwein  FranTand  EnZf 
and  great  preparations  were  made  on  both  sides,  to  carrv  it  on%h 
vigor.    A  similar  spirit  prevailed  in  their  respecti;e  coffis  in  Amei 
ca.    Large  appropriations  were  made  bv  thVasseXTNew  York 
to  carry  on  the  war.    In  1746,  the  English  colonies  unkedL  an  ex- 
pedition  agamst  Louisbur^,  on  Cape  Breton  Island.    Th  s  imD^ 

bv  th7«r'  Tr^T^  ^"  ^"""'  ^'g*^*  t^'o^-^nd  poinds  wTvS 
by  the  assembly  for  the  promotion  of  this  enterprise 

The  country  north  of  Albany  was  kept  in  a  continued  state  of 

Sl°' '"'"^^  into  captivity.  These  events  caLed  murhdisS 
and  occasioned  much  alarm  even  in  Ulster  and  Oranse  cLnties  Th« 
plan  of  he  war,  in  1746,  was,  that  a  squadron  u2  the  command 
of  Admiral  Warren,  with  a  body  of  l^d  forces,  LuSprocrdun 
the  St.  Lawrence;  while  the  troops  from  New  York  ^AnihZnJ? 
mes  at  the  south,  should  be  coUect^ed  at  Albap^.Ld  pr^^ee^^^^^^^ 
Crown  Pomt  and  Montreal.  The  assembly  of  N^ork  entered 
with  great  zeal  upon  this  design:  they  levied  a  tax  of  £^000  to  1 
deeml>Uls  issued  for  the  occasion.  In  July,  a  coMress  of  th«  S 
Nations  was  held  with  the  governor,  at  Albany, X  was  a«end^ 

^l  1  ^^t""^  ¥^'  ^3Y^g«to°.  ^d  Mr.  Rutherford,  meX?s  of  the 
coiincil.  The  mdisposition  of  the  governor  prevented  hfmS  o~n! 
ing  the  counci  m  person  and  that  duty  felf  upon  Dr.  ColdTn   The 

n^Z  ZflntrV^'V:^^'.  I"  "'^^  zealously  kike  It 
agamst  the  French.  The  efforts  of  the  colonies  were,  however 
rendered  nearly  useless  by  the  faUureof  the  promised  assistSS 

Pfc?  ^f"''  7t®'  the  preliminaries  of  peace  were  signed  at  Aix-la- 
ChapeUe,  and  hostilities  soon  after  ceSed.  After  tKose  orthj 
war,  the  colony  enioyed  a  period  of  general  tranquillity.  The  in! 
hamtants  vigorousfy  pursued  the  art!  of  peace,  and  W  indust^^ 
economy  and  enterpnse.  repaired,  in  a  great  meaure,  the^losses  sS 
twued  m  the  prececfing  war.  In  1750,  tie  entries  at  New  York  were 
two  hundred  and  thirty-two,  and  the  clearances  two  hundred^d 

t^}'}L'^\   A^\«  «^  tho"««»d  tons  of  provisions.  chieflvTur  w^r« 
e^pujicu,  ucsmes  iarge  quanUUes  of  grain.  " 


ss 


OUTMNK    HMTOIV. 


Grovernor  Clinton  having  resigned,  Sir  Danvers  Osborne  arrived  as 
his  successor,  in  October,  1763.  **  Chnton  is  represented  to  have  been 
mercenary ;  to  have  used  every  plausible  device,  for  enhancing  the 
profits  of  his  government ;  to  have  sold  offices  and  '^^'ea  the  rever* 
sions  of  such  as  were  ministerial ;  and  to  have  amassed  a  fortune, 
during  his  administration  of  ten  years,  of  more  than  £80,000  sterling. 
He  became,  afterward,  governor  of  Greenwich  HosfHtal."  The  od- 
ministration  of  Sir  Danvers  Osbomu  endured  but  a  few  days  only. 
Five  days  after  his  arrival,  he  was  found  suspended  by  the  neck  m 
the  garden  of  Mr.  Murray,  with  whom  he  resided.  This  unfortu- 
nate gentleman  is  supposed  to  have  committed  suicide  on  account 
of  grief  for  the  loss  of  his  wife,  and  by  the  cmbarrassinrnts  which 
he  apprehended  would  attend  the  exercise  of  his  othec  an  gov- 
ernor. 

James  de  Lancey,  who  had  been  appointed  lieutenant-governor  by 
one  of  the  last  acts  of  Governor  Clinton,  on  the  death  of  Osborne 
assumed  the  administration  of  government.  At  this  period,  the  Eng- 
lish and  French  extended  their  settlements  in  the  colonies,  and  ea<'h 
wore  anxious  to  secure  the  most  eligible  situations  for  trading-houses 
nnd  forts.  Mutual  complaints  of  aggression  were  soon  followed  by 
ojton  acts  of  hostility. 

In  1754,  a  convention  of  delegates  frokn  New  Hampshire,  Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland, 
with  the  lieutenant-governor  ond  council  of  New  York,  was  held  at 
Albany,  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  upon  some  scheme  for  the  com- 
mon defence.  The  plan  for  a  political  union,  drawn  up  by  Dr.  Frank- 
lin, a  delecate  from  Pennsylvania,  was  adopted  on  the  4th  of  July. 
This  plan  nad  the  singular  fortune  to  be  rejected  by  the  provincial 
assemblies,  because  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  crown ;  and,  at 
the  same  time,  to  be  rejected  by  the  crown,  because  it  gave  too  much 
power  to  the  pe<^le. 

In  September,  1755,  Sir  Charles  Hardy,  a  distinguished  naval  oiK- 
cer,  arrived  in  New  York  with  commission  of  governor.  Being 
iffnorant  of  civil  affairs,  he  put  himself  into  the  nands  of  Mr.  De 
Lancey,  and  was  guided  altogether  by  his  counsels.  Early  in  the 
spring  of  this  year,  the  colonies  made  preparations  for  vigorous  exer- 
tions against  the  enemy.  An  expedition  was  planned  against  the 
French  in  Nova  Scotia,  another  against  the  French  on  the  Ohio,  a 
third  against  Crown  Point,  and  a  fourth  against  Niagara.  The  first 
exjiedition  resulted  in  the  reduction  of  Nova  Scotia.  That  aeainst 
the  French  on  the  Ohio  failed  by  the  defeat  of  General  Braddock, 
who  was  drawn  into  an  ambuscade  of  French  and  Indians  near  Fort 
<lu  Quesne.  The  expedition  against  Crown  Point,  commanded  by 
Gen.  Wm.  Johnson,  though  unsuccessful  in  its  main  object,  served,  in 
a  measure,  to  dispel  the  gloom  occasioned  by  the  defeat  of  Braddock. 
Governor  Shirley,  of  Massachusetts,  took  the  command  of  the  cxikj- 
dition  against  Niagara.  He  advanced  to  Oswego,  where,  being  poorly 
supplied  with  provisions,  the  expedition  was  abandoned,  and  the  troops 
returned  to  Aioany.     During  the  winter  and  spring  following,  ma- 


OUTLINI    HMTOBY. 

raudiiig  partiei  of  weiteni  Indians  committed  many  atrocities  in  the 
counties  of  Orange  and  Ulster. 

In  the  plan  of  operations  for  the  campaign  of  1766,  Niagara  and 
Crown  Point,  then  in  possession  of  the  French,  were  the  principal 
points  of  attack.  Owing  to  the  improvidence  of  Gen.  Abercrombio, 
then  in  command,  in  the  absence  ot  Lord  Loudon,  nothing  of  import* 
ance  was  effected  by  the  English  forces.  In  August,  Marquis  de 
Montcalm,  commander  of  the  French  troops  in  Canada,  cfiptured  the 
two  forts  at  Oswego,  which  he  demolished,  took  1,600  men  prisoners, 
with  180  cannon,  14  mortars,  two  sloops-of-war,  200  boats  and  bat- 
toanx,  with  a  largo  quantity  of  stores  and  provisions.  The  campaign 
of  17ri7  was  equally  unsuccessful  on  the  part  of  the  English.  Fort 
/;'"'»'"  Henry,  on  Lake  George,  with  a  garrison  of  8,000  men  under 
Col.  Munro,  was  compelled,  after  a  bravo  defence,  to  surrender  to 
Montcalm.  This  event  gave  the  French  the  command  of  the  lake 
and  tho  western  frontier. 

In  1758,  tho  celebrated  William  Pitt,  Lord  Chatham,  now  placed  at 
the  head  of  the  British  ministry,  gave  a  new  tone  to  their  measures, 
and  a  tresh  impulse  to  the  colonies.  The  tide  of  success  was  soon 
tui-nod  in  favor  of  the  English,  which  continued,  with  few  exceptions, 
till  ( ;nnada  was  subjected  to  their  arms.  The  plan  for  this  year  com- 
pi(>h«Mulcd  three  expeditions,  viz,  Ijouisburg,  Ticonderoga,  and  Fort 
dii.  Qneme.  Louisburg  surrendered  to  Gen.  Amherst  in  July.  Gen. 
AbiMcroiiibie,  with  an  army  of  16,000  men,  passed  Lake  George  and 
imidi!  an  attack  on  Ticonderoga.  After  a  contest  of  four  hours,  he 
\V!.s  <;<)iiipollcd  to  retire  with  the  loss  of  nearly  two  thousand  in 
killid  and  wounded.  Abercrombie,  after  his  defeat,  sent  Col.  Brad- 
shoot,  with  3,000  men,  against  Fort  Frontcnac,  on  the  northeastern 
skIo  of  the  outlet  of  Lake  Ontario.  Bradstreet  sailed  down  the  lake, 
liuulod  within  a  mile  of  the  fort,  and  in  two  days  compelled  it  to 
f!i II  render.*  The  garrison  at  Fort  du  Quesne,  unsustaincd  by  their 
savage  allies,  on  the  24th  of  November  abandoned  and  burnt  this 
lortnss  on  the  approach  of  the  British  army  under  Gen.  Forbes. 
Great  Britain,  having  resolved  to  annihilate  the  French  power  in 

,ot  1?*  Mpedition  under  Co!.  Bradstreet  conswted  of  the  followioc  troope  ^-Roirulnrs 
i^°'iio''"«u'^'  30; New  York  provincials,  1,112  ;  Massachuseto  do.,  675 ;  Now  J.^r.' 
o7ol°"'4J^'  ^^'^^  ^"'""*^  do.,  318;  batteau-men,  300;  and  about  60  rangers;  in  all 
3  035.    The  regulars  were  commanded  by  Capt.  Ogilvie,  and  the  artillery  by  Lieut.  Brown 
.      . /^  V'^'i^jT""'*  •'""fwted  of  two  detachmenla.    The  first  commanded  by  LieutenantI 
colonel  Charles  Clinton,  of  Uteter,  amountingin  the  whole  'o440,  under  Capts.  Ogden  of  West 
diester,  Peter  Dubois,  of  New  York,  Samuel  Bladgely,  of  Dutchess,  and  Daniel  Wright,  oi" 
liueens.    1  he  second  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant-colonel  Isauc  Corse,  of  Queens,  and 
^Injor  Nathaniel  Woodhull,  ot  Suffolk,  amounting  to  668,  under  Captains  Elias  Hand,  of  Suf. 
folk,  Richard  Hewlett,  of  Queens,  Thomas  Arrowsmith,  of  Richmond,  William  Humphrey, 
ot  Dutchess,  Ebenexer  Seeley,  of  Ulster,  and  Peter  Yates  and  Goosen  Van  Schaick.  of  Al! 
I'^l    ^^  '"'"^  '*['  ^T  ?^!?^'*'  August  l4iii,  1758,  and  the  fort  capituluhd  on  the 
27th.    The  commander  of  the  fort  was  exchanged  for  Col,  Peter  Schuyler.    C6I.  Corse 
who  had  distinguished  himself  in  the  three  preceding  campaigns,  with  a  part  of  his  iroons' 
volunteered  to  erect  a  battery,  in  the  night  of  the  26th,  in  tl.e  midst  of  the  enemy's  fire* 
which  in  the  morning  commanded  their  fort,  and  led  to  an  immediate  surrender.    The 
colonel  receiyed  a  slight  wound,  but  not  so  severe  as  to  unfit  him  for  dutv.     Th«  rf„t-eh 
Blent  mmtiva  lo  Fort  otanwix  the  10th  of  September."— Gordon'*  Cfax.  of  New' York 


30 


OUTLINE    HMTOar. 


America,  made  adequate  preparations  for  the  campaign  of  1769. 
The  colonies  now  displayed  that  zeal  with  which  men  pursue  their 
mterests  when  animated  with  well-founded  hopes  of  success.  The 
legislature  of  New  York  authorized  a  levy  of  2,680  men,  and  issued 
the  sum  of  £100,000  in  bills  of  credit,  bearing  interest,  and  redeem- 
able in  1768,  by  the  proceeds  of  an  annual  tax.  The  impositions,  in 
the  space  of  five  months  of  the  year  1769,  amounted  to  $626,000. 
At  the  instance  of  Gen.  Amherst,  a  loan  of  £160,000  was  made  to 
the  crown,  which  was  paid  in  specie. 

The  contemplated  points  of  attack,  in  1769,  were  Ticonderoga, 
Crown  Point,  Niagara,  and  Qmbec.  Gen.  Amherst  took  Ticonde- 
roga, and  proceeded  to  Crown  Point,  which  surrendered  without  op- 
jwsition.  In  July,  Gen.  Prideaux  invested  Niagara,  but  was  slain  by 
the  bursting  of  a  cohort  in  the  trenches.  The  fort  was,  however, 
captured  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  who  succeeded  him  in  command. 
On  the  13th  of  September,  a  severe  battle  was  fought  between  the 
British  forces  under  Gen.  Wolfe,  and  the  French  under  Montcalm. 
Both  these  commanders  were  killed,  the  French  were  defeated,  and 
Quebec  surrendered  to  the  British  arms.  In  the  ensuing  spring  of 
1760,  the  French  made  a  fruitless  attempt  to  recover  Quebec.  On 
the  8th  of  September,  Montreal,  Detroit,  Michilimackinac,  and  all 
other  places  within  the  government  of  Canada,  were  surrendered  to 
his  Britannic  majesty. 

The  conquest  of  Canada,  by  preventing  the  incursions  of  the  French 
and  Indians  into  the  territory  of  New  York,  removed  a  great  obstacle 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  colony.  Gov.  De  Lancey  died  suddenly, 
July  30th,  1760.  Cadwallader  Colden  assumed  the  government,  as 
president  of  the  council,  and  received  the  appointment  of  lieutenant- 

Sovemor  in  August,  1761.  Mr.  Colden  was  superseded  by  General 
Jobert  Monckton  on  the  26th  of  October.  This  gentleman  being 
placed  at  the  head  of  an  expedition  against  Martinique,  on  the  15th 
of  November,  left  the  government  of  the  province  to  Mr.  Colden, 
under  an  agreement  for  an  equal  division  of  the  salary  and  per- 
quisites. ^ 

In  1763,  the  celebrated  controversy  with  New  Hampshire,  respect- 
mg  boundaries,  commenced.  The  territory  in  question  comprised  the 
country  between  Connecticut  river  and  Lake  Champlain,  since  known 
as  Vermont.  The  original  character  of  the  colonies,  owing  to  im- 
perfect  surveys  of  the  country,  were  many  of  them  extremely  indefi- 
nite, vague,  and  often  contradictory.  A  grant  was  made  in  1664 
and  1674,  by  Charles  II.  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  containing, 
among  other  parts  of  America,  "  all  the  lands,  from  the  west  side  of 
Connecticut  river,  to  the  east  side  of  Delaware  bay,"  This  territory 
was,  however,  by  many  supposed  to  fall  within  the  limits  of  New 
Hampshire,  although  claimed  by  New  York,  by  virtue  of  the  grant 
made  to  the  Duke  of  York.  ® 

The  government  of  New  Hampshire,  in  1760,  made  large  grants 
of  land  to  settlers  west  of  Connecticut,  and  the  settlements  progressed 
iistoaishing  rapidity.     lu  1763,  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 


OVTLIlfB  BISTOKT. 


81 


townships  had  been  granted  by  Kove  Hampshire,  extending  ».  f»^ 
west  as  the  shore  of  Lake  Chinplain,  BndZl^h!t%tes^J^ 

G:vkTlZ'^L''^^''^r  ""''•  To  check  these  pJoc^X^ 
OK>y.  Golden  issued  a  proclamation,  claiming  jurisdiction  aTf^^fS 
as  Connecticut  river.    He  also  commandfd^  thrsheriVof  AlbZ 

l^^l^  u  ?f \'  "^'"^  °^  ^"  P"^««"«'  ^»»°'  "«d«r  the  New  HampshTre 
gran  s,  had  taken  possession  of  lands  west  of  the  river  iHCs? 
tion  to  this  the  governor  of  New  Hampshire  issued  a^claZK: 
declarmg  the  grant  of  the  Duke  of  York  to  be  obsoSte,  aKS 
ScS''^'^'''  '^''"^'^  "^  ^"  ^^^^  ^'  Massachuseus  ^d  Con. 

tai^ef  !rl72i\^v'"^K-^^^^^  ^^  the  crown,  a  decision  was  ob- 

S!li  *    ?:^' *^  which  the  western  bank  of  Connecticut  river  wm 
declared  to  be  the  boundary  line  between  the  provinces  Jfivlw 

^Hill^^^  T'^  ^"^  ^'''^'  *he  government  of  N?w  York  proceS 
to  organize  the  new  territory,  ani  to  exercise  jurisdiction   ^The^ew 

ta,Bs  we^  6™ed  the  counties  of  GW,terSdCamteri.S"  cZl 
were  held  m  these  counties,  the  grants  of  land  mder  iw'  H^^^ 

eh.ed  .MThe^^tnd^^^  Ke-gl^erTS'M  T 

Snteirr.rs?e^asdjf^ir^^^ 

pSd't^he^o^"'"'^?,;!:;^''  "^-  *■"  7"'='' » «'«;'  "3"", 

otL?.h?„t"t' ™°K°:'!%-^^^^^^^         bo™.d  themseCS 

pen.,  to  ^ppinvii;  Bri«,rcS.:.irirreri^^^ 

/ 


OUTLINE    HIHTORY. 


I   »f 


understood,  ttie  preverlion  of  any  attempt  to  cai  ry  the  stamp  act  into 
operation. 

In  New  York,  Peter  de  Lancey,  James  M'Evers,  and  other  stamp 
officers,  obeyed  the  public  voice,  and  renounced  their  commissions. 
Gov.  Golden,  having  taken  the  oath  to  execute  the  stamp  act,  became 
the  object  of  popular  indignation.  His  effigy  was  carried  about  the 
city  and  hung ;  his  carriage  and  other  property  were  burned  ;  and 
his  person  was  probably  preserved  from  violence,  only  by  his  ad- 
vanced age.  When  the  stamps  arrived,  they  were  lodged  in  the  fort, 
which  the  governor,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  his  council,  put  into  a 
state  for  defence.  He  was  obliged  to  surrender  their  custody  to  the 
city  corporation,  on  the  assurance  of  being  responsible  for  their  value, 
and  to  declare  that  he  would  take  no  measures  to  enforce  the  act,  but 
leave  the  subject  to  his  successor,  who  was  hourly  expected.  Sir 
Henry  Moore,  Bart.,  who  was  commissioned  governor  in  July,  1705, 
met  the  council  on  the  13th  of  November  following,  and  proposed  at 
once  to  attempt  the  execution  of  the  stamp  act.  The  unanimous  ad- 
vice of  his  council,  and  the  demonstration  of  public  feeling,  induced 
him  to  a  more  prudent  course. 

Gov.  Moore's  administration  was  terminated  by  his  death,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1769.  During  his  term  of  service  efforts  were  made,  unsuc- 
cessfully, to  settle  the  Doundaries  between  this  province  and  Massa- 
chusetts, who  claimed  territory  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Emigrants 
I'rom  Massachusetts  intruded  into  the  counties  along  the  Hudson,  and 
settled  even  in  the  manor  of  Rensselaerwyck.  They  were  frequently 
removed  by  force,  and  blood  was  shed  more  than  once  in  the  attempt. 
Commissioners  from  both  colonies  met  at  New  Haven,  October,  1767, 
who  agreed  that  the  western  line  of  Massachusetts  should  be  fixed 
at  twenty  miles  east  from  Hudson  river,  but  difiered  as  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  that  line  should  be  determined. 

At  the  termination  of  Gov.  Moore's  administration,  the  supreme 
court  consisted  of  four  judges :  Daniel  Horsemanden,  chief  justice ; 
David  Jones,  second ;  William  Smith,  third ;  and  Robert  R.  Livings- 
ton, the  fourth  justice.  The  first  received  £300,  and  the  others 
£200  per  annum.  The  salary  of  the  governor  had  been  increased, 
from  time  to  time,  to  £2,000  per  annum,  with  a  perquisite  of  £400, 
granted  as  an  appropriation  for  fire- wood  and  candles  for  Fort  George. 
The  attorney  had  £150,  and  the  colonial  agent,  Mr.  Charles,  at  Lon- 
don, £500  per  annum.  The  colony  of  New  York  contained,  at  this 
period,  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  inhabitants. 

By  the  death  of  Sir  Henry  Moore,  the  government  again  devolved 
on  Mr.  Colden.  This  his  third  administration,  continued  till  Noveni- 
Ijer,  1770,  when  he  was  superseded  by  John,  Lord  Dunmore.  With 
the  service  of  this  nobleman  commenced  the  practice  of  paying  the 
governor  by  the  crown.  This  practice  was  afterward  denounced 
by  most  of  the  colonies  as  a  serious  grievance,  as  it  made  the  govern- 
or independent  of  the  assembly.  Dunmore  governed  the  colony  until 
his  removal  to  Virginia,  when  his  place  was  supplied  on  the  8th  of 
July,  1771,  by  William  Tryon,  the  last  of  the  royal  governors. 


% 


OUTLINE   HMTOar.  |g 

niUuJih^'  ^7^T!i  '^'^T  ""l^^,  '^  unsuccessful  attempt  to  con- 
ciliate the  mind,  of  the  setUers  of  the  New  Hampshire  granti.  X 
i  \^iS  "'^"'bly  passed  an  act  by  which  it  was  declared  felony 
punishable  by  death,  for  any  of  these  settlers  to  oppose  the  livem: 
men  by  force.    The  governor  at  the  same  time  mSrproclSSn 

te?'  ^®?  Warner,  and  six  others  of  the  most  obnoxious  of  the  setdew 
The  inhabitants  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants  became  stilTmS^w 
violent  in  their  opposition.    The  prSscribef  persons,  iS^  Sew  S 

sha^l nZi, Ji f^K  ^'^'^''^  any  person  or  persons  whomsoever,  who 
shall  presume  to  be  accessary,  aiding,  or  assisting  in  taking  any  of  us  " 
In  the  sprmg  of  1775,  an  event  took  place  in  the  N^SamnsWre 
grants  which  exasperated  both  parties."^  At  the  time  iSd  fo? 
the  session  of  the  court  at  Westminster,  in  the  dSputeTtSritor^ 
some  of  the  inhabitants  in  this  and  the  adjacent  towM  took  pos^S 
of  the  courthouse,  to  prevent  the  officers  under  thTautroXf  New 

tlttirZarter^^ 

officers  ^rttPnT'H  Wo  *  ^'^^^".^Plo'^k  at  ni^ht,  the  sheriff  and  other 
omcers,  attended  by  an  armed  force,  repaired  to  the  courthouse 
when,  being  agam  refused  admittance,  some  of  the  party  fireSX' 
house,  kille3  one  man,  and  wounded  several.  The  j^opfe  were^i^hly 
mflamed  by  these  rash  proceedings.  Some  of  the  o^cei^  were  sefzeJ 
and  earned  to  the  ail  at  NorthaiSpton,  Massachusetts.  Matters  now 
appeared  about  to  be  brought  to^  sanguinary  crisii.  But  at  thil 
penod  an  event  took  place,  which  arrested  tS  attention  of  all  and 
gave  a  new  channel  to  the  torrent  of  popular  fury.  The  breS 
lottt  'evolutionary  war  at  Lexington,  causeL  suspensLno? 
Kte^tHhr^L?"*'? '.""'*  *^"  P"^*''^  '"^"•i™  exclusive?y 

at  Ph&iiv  °'  ^''^'e*^^??  continental  congress  was  to  be  assembled 
at  Philadelphia.  The  subject  of  sending  delegates  to  this  body  wm 
agitated  in  the  assembly  ofivew  York ;  and  on  the  refusal  of  that^b^^ 
to  appomt  them,  a  provincial  convention  was  called  by  the  people  for 
Jis  purpose.  The  convention  assembled  at  New  Yorls  on  tVe  22d  of 
Apnl,  and  proceeded  to  make  the  appointments.  This  convention 
OrlnT^'i  of  deputies  from  New  York,  Albany,  Dutehe^  UhS 
Sl^%'  Westchester,  Kings,  and  Suffi>lk  coi>>>.ties.    They  appoS 

T^Sr.  M     • '*S  Floyd,  John  Jay,  Henry  Wisner,  Philip  iShiX^ 
Lewis  Moms,  Francis  Lewis,  and  Robert  R.  Livingston.  Jr   deL 
gates  to  the  continental  congress,  who,  or  any  fiv^Tthem   we 
mlrusted  with  M  power  to  co^ncert  with'the  oth^er  coloSe  .  S  aS^t 
thwe  measures  best  adapted  to  sustain  their  rights  ^ 

The  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington,  (19th  of  April,  1776,)  caused 
a  violent  agitation  in  the  city  of  New  Yok,  which  preiailed  foJJS^ 
days,  until  a  new  committee  of  sunerintenHpncp  LnT*?!  !/*!"! 
hundred  of  the  most  respectable  citizens.  waslomeSauffin;;.^^ 


M 


OUTLINE   HI8T0KT. 


-.i 


of  the  "  committee  of  observation."  It  was  resolved  that  a  provincial 
congress  ought  to  be  speedily  assembled,  to  assume  the  government 
of  the  colony,  to  prepare  for  defence,  «&c.  It  submitted  at  the  same 
time  the  form  of  an  association,  to  be  signed  by  the  inhabitants,  de- 
claratory  of  their  rights  and  liberties,  and  of  their  determination  to 
sustain  them.  This  association  was  signed  by  the  whigs  with  great 
cordiality,  and  by  the  tories  under  the  fear  of,  or  by  actual  constraint. 
The  inhabitants  generally  began  to  arise  under  the  direction  of  com- 
mittees. Six  hundred  stands  of  arms  were  seized  in  the  city  arsenal 
and  distributed  among  the  people :  another  parcel  was  taken  from 
the  soldiery  by  Colonel  Willet,  when  on  the  way  to  the  harbor  to  be 
exported  to  Boston. 

It  was  deemed  of  importance,  in  order  to  put  the  country  in  a  pos- 
ture of  defence,  to  secure  the  fortresses  at  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point.  On  the  10th  of  May,  Colonel  Ethan  Allen  took  possession  of 
Ticonderoga  by  surprise :  on  the  same  day,  Crown  Point  was  sur- 
rendered to  Colonel  Warner ;  a  third  party  surprised  Skeensborough, 
(now  Whitehall.)  The  capture  of  an  armed  sloop  at  St.  Johns  soon 
after,  gave  to  the  Americans  the  entire  command  of  Lake  Champlain. 
Governor  Tryon,  who  had  been  absent  on  k  visit  to  Europe,  returned 
to  New  York  on  the  24th  of  June.  He  was  much  esteemed  by 
many  of  the  citizens,  and  received  a  complimentary  address  from  the 
city  authorities.  His  exertions  to  promote  the  royal  cause,  soon  ren- 
dered him  extremely  unpopular.  In  October,  he  became  alarmed  for 
his  personal  safety,  and  retired  on  board  of  the  Halifax  packet. 

On  the  22d  of  May,  1775,  a  provincial  congress,  consisting  of  about 
seventy  members,  convened  at  New  York.  The  proceedings  of  the 
convention  were  determined  by  counties ;  New  York  having  four, 
Albany  three,  and  each  of  the  others  two  votes.  Two  regiments 
were  authorized  to  be  levied ;  bounties  were  offered  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  gunpowder  and  muskets  in  the  province  ;  fortifications  were 
projected  at  Kingsbridge,  and  the  Highlands ;  and  Philip  Schuyler 
and  Richard  Montgomery  were  recommended,  the  first  as  major- 
general,  the  second  as  brigadier,  to  be  appointed  by  the  continental 
congress. 

Upon  the  adjournment  of  the  congress,  in  September,  for  a  month, 
they  delegated  their  powers  to  a  "  Committee  of  Safety ;"  and  this  ex- 
pedient was  resorted  to  upon  every  subsequent  adjournment.  Ordina- 
rily, this  committee  was  composed  of  three  members  from  the  city, 
and  one  from  each  of  the  other  counties.  When  on  the  re-assembling 
of  the  congress,  and  at  other  times,  a  quorum  was  not  present,  the 
members  resolved  themselves  into  a  "  committee  of  safety,"  and  thus 
the  public  busine,  s  was  never  interrupted.  The  committee  was  em- 
powered to  execute  the  resolves  of  the  provincial  and  general  con- 
gresses, to  superintend  the  military  affairs  of  the  province,  to  appro- 
priate money  for  the  public  service,  and  to  convene  the  congress 
when  and  where  they  deemed  necessary. 

While  General  Washington  was  engaged  in  organizing  the  main 


t-*7r7V;^^it  --SO  V  t  tfTj 


s^rvt 


ioiix,  — 


ipSui- 


) 


OUTLINE    HISTORY. 


85 


tion  was  planned  against  Canada,  the  command  of  which  was  assiim- 
ed  to  Generals  Schuyler  and  Montgomery.  General  Schuyler  havinj? 
retired  on  account  of  ill  health,  Montgofhery,.  with  a  force  of  one 
thousandmen,  proceeded  to  Montreal,  and  from  thence  led  his  gallant 
httle  army  to  Quebec.  During  his  progress,  Colonel  Arnold,  with  a 
boldness  and  perseverance  rarely  surpassed,  passed  up  the  Kennebec 
river  and  pursued  his  course  through  a  trackless  wilderness  of  three 
hundred  miles,  and  joined  Montgomery  at  Quebec.    On  the  last  day 

^L^VT'i  l^'^  ^T'^  Montgomery,  with  a  force  of  less  thai 
eight  hundred,  attempted  to  take  Quebec  by  storm.  This  brave  com- 
mander fell  m  the  assault,  and  the  Americans  were  repulsed  with  the 

oZfjT  ^t  '^'''  •r'"^^-  ^™'^'^'  "«^  '»  the^ommand,  en! 
camped  about  three  miles  from  Quebec,  where  he  maintained  his 
position  till  spring.  He  was  afterward  compelled  to  make  a  disas- 
Canada         '  ^  '^'  '''  ^^^^^^  '^'  whole  army  waHrfven  from 

Congress  being  informed  that  a  large  number  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Tryon  county  were  disaffected  to  the  American  cause,  and,  under  the 
direction  of  Sir  John  Johnson,  were  making  military  preparation,  re- 
soved  to  disarm  them.  General  Schuyle?,  to  whom  tEis  buiiess 
was  committed,  in  January,  1776,  called  out  seven  hundred  of  the 
Albany  militia,  and  commenced  his  march.  But  such  was  the  enthu- 
siasm  of  the  people  that,  on  his  arrival  at  Caghnewaga,  his  force 
amounted  to  near  three  thousand,  including  nine  huiTdred  of  the 
Tryon  county  militia.  The  approach  of  this  formidable  body  awed 
the  royalists  mto  submission.  The  whole  number  disarmed  was 
supposed  to  amount  to  about  six  hundred.  About  the  same  time,  a 
considerable  number  were  entrenching  themselves  on  Long  Island 
m  order  to  support  the  royal  cause.  A  detachment  of  the  Jersey 
militia  was  sent  over,  by  whom  they  were  disarmed,  and  their  lead- 
ers secured. 

afh!lfi^T^^rJ^l^''uT^  congress  convened  at  White  Plains  on  the 
S^/f  /fe  ^^''  t^y  ^^""^  ^^^  ^^^^  ""^  "  ^^  Representatives  of  the 
State  of  NewYorkr  and  exercised  all  the  powers  of  sovereignty, 
until  tne  establishment  of  the  government  under  the  constitution.  On 
the  first  day  of  their  meeting,  they  received  from  the  continental  con- 
gress The  Declaration  of  Independence.  They  immediately  passed 
an  unanimous  lesolution,  fully  approving  of  the  measure,  and  express- 

o"? fh.T«i  nr/T^''"  ^i  ^"  hazards  to  support  it.  The  convention, 
on  the  16th  of  July,  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Jay,  declared  that  all  per- 
sons abiding  m  the  state,  and  who  were  entitled  to  the  protectiorof 
luffer  dekth  ""^  ^^®*  '**  enemies,  should  on  conviction 

In  1776,  it  was  expected  that  the  enemy  would  make  New  York 

1„Tk  ^"ll^iFi  ^^°i  ""^  f^^""^'  ^^°-  Washington  arrived  in  the  city 
on  the  14th  of  Apnl,  and  great  exertions  were  made  for  putting  the 
Place  m  a  posture  of  defence.  On  the  22d  of  August,  Lord  Howe 
landed  a  force,  estimated  at  24.000  men.  on  Lona  TsltnH  nt  nro,,«=o„j 
oay.     ine  Americans,  amountmg  to  15,000,  under  the  command  of 


■»  OUTLINE    HHTORT. 

Gen.  Sullivan,  were  encamped  on  a  peninsula  near  the  village  of 
Brooklyn.  On  the  87th,  an  obstinate  battle  was  fought,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans were  compelled  to  retire  to  their  entrenchments  with  creat  loss. 
On  the  night  or  the  30th,  a  safe  retreat  was  effected  from  the  ifllsnd. 
On  the  15th  of  September,  the  British  took  possession  of  New  York, 
the  American  troops  having  retired  to  Harlaem  and  King's  Bridge. 
A  few  days  after  the  British  took  possession,  a  fire  broke  out,  in  which 
atiout  one  thousand  houses  were  destroyed,  being  about  one  fourth 
part  of  the  city. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  distinguished  and  wealthy  inhabitants  of 
the  city  of  New  York,  and  many  in  the  adjacent  country,  were  loy- 
alists, and,  of  course,  enemies  to  American  independence.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  British  army,  the  disaffected  in  this  part  of  the  state 
and  the  neighboring  parts  of  New  Jersey,  embodied  themselves  under 
(^cers  selected  by  themselves.  Oliver  de  Lancey  was  appointed  a 
general,  with  authority  to  raise  a  brigade  of  tories,  and  a  like  com- 
mission  was  given  to  Courtland  Skinner,  of  New  Jersey.  These 
troops  committed  many  murders  and  robberies  on  both  sides  of  the 
Hudson  river,  but  more  especially  in  Westchester  county.  The  pro- 
vincial congress  now  adopted  energetic  measures.  The  "  Council  of 
Safety']  were  empowered  to  send  for  persons  and  papers,  and  to  em- 
ploy military  force.  By  its  dread  power  numerous  arrests,  imprison- 
ments, and  banishments,  were  made  throughout  the  state.  Many 
tories  and  their  families  were  sent  mto  New  York,  others  expelled  the 
state,  others  required  to  give  security  to  reside  within  prescribed 
limits ;  and  occasionally  the  jails,  and  even  the  churches,  were  crowded 
with  its  prisoners,  and  many  were  sent  for  safe-keeping  to  the  jails 
of  Connecticut  The  personal  property  of  those  who  had  joined  the 
enemy  was  confiscated. 

The  American  army  beine  in  point  of  numbers  greatly  inferior  to 
that  of  the  British,  General  Washington  drew  off  the  main  body  of 
his  army  from  York  Island,  and  encamped  at  White  Plains.  Lord 
Howe  advanced  upon  him  with  15,000  men.  An  engagement  ensued 
on  the  28th  of  October,  but  no  decisive  advantage  was  obtained ;  the 
Americans  retired  to  a  strong  position  on  the  heights  of  North  Cas- 
tle, which  the  enemy  declined  to  attack.  General  Washington,  leav- 
ing about  7,600  men  under  General  Lee  to  defend  North  Castle, 
crossed  the  Hudson  and  continued  his  retreat  to-the  southward.  The 
American  army  continuing  to  retire  from  New  York,  Sir  William 
Howe  embraced  the  opportunity  of  reducing  Fort  Wasliington  and 
Fort  Lee,  on  the  Hudson.  While  these  operations  were  going  on  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  state,  the  northern  division  of  the  army,  under 
General  Gates,  was  engaged  at  the  north  in  putting  Ticonderoga  in 
a  state  of  defence,  and  made  preparations  to  secure  the  command  of 
Lake  Champlain.  General  Arnold,  who  commanded  the  American 
fleet,  being  pursued,  was  obliged  to  blow  up  his  vessels,  and,  after 
firing  the  fortress  at  Crown  Point,  retreated  to  Ticonderoga.  The 
British  general,  Carlton,  after  reconnoitering  the  latter  ]}lace,  deemed 
it  |;i  ui^it  on  the  approuch  of  winter  to  return  to  Cautultt. 


) 


OI7TUNS   HISTORY.  3^ 

The  state  convention,  driven  from  New  York,  convened  from  time 
to  time  at  Harlaem,  King's  Bridge,  Philip's  Manor.  FishkiU,  White 
Plains,  Poughkeepsie,  and  Kingston.  On  the  1st  of  August.  1776  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  report  a  constitution.  The  draft  of  this 
?I»TTm  '^t'''^  7^  prepared  bv  Mr.  Jay,  was  reported  on  the 
I2th  ot  March,  and  finally  adopted  on  the  aoth  of  April,  1777  It 
was  amended  by  convention  in  October,  1801,  and  superseded  by  the 
present  constitution  m  November,  1821.  The  constitution  of  1777 
was  republican  in  its  character.  The  supreme  executive  power  was 
vested  m  a  governor  and  lieutenant-governor,  who  was  to  preside 

vacancy.  The  legislative  power  was  vested  in  the  senate  and  house 
ot  assembly,  who  were  to  hold  at  least  one  session  every  year  The 
governor  and  members  of  the  senate  and  house  of  assembly,  were 
to  be  elected  by  the  freeholders  of  the  state  of  New  York 
m«H«  f^flTV''^  the  first  elections  under  the  new  constitution,  were 
n^ntnn  J5^  K  ''""^^'^  ""^  Safety  July  9th.  1777.  General  GeorS 
Uinton  was  chosen  governor,  and  was  sworn  into  office  on  the  30th 

the  NewToT^'^'.^*  ^'??'!?5'  being  then  in  the  active  command  of 

of  Rnr™  K  Ta^'\  .^  ^ ^ ^"^^  ^^^  ^^^^  "»^  ^^^ the  defeat 
of  Burgoyne,  but  discharged  such  civil  duties  as  devolved  on  him.  bv 

correspondence  with  the  Council  of  Safety.    At  the  adoption  of  the 

constitution,  the  state  was  divided  into  fourteen  counties :  New  YorL 

nllr'*2?K^'"^^'^"^^/i'u'  ^"^°''^'  Westchester,  Dutchess.  Orange! 
Ulster.  Albany.  Tryon,  Charlotte,  Cumberland,  and  Gloster    the  tfo 

i^y.f'^^'/  ?^*^  P'^f  "^  state  of  Vermont.  The  first  si^  (except 
part  of  Westchester  and  part  of  Orange)  remained  in  possession  of 
the  enemy  until  the  peace,  the  highlands  forming  the  great  barrier  to 
his  farther  advance  from  the  south.  ''aifier  lo 

The  principal  object  of  the  British  in  the  campaign  of  1777  was 
to  open  a  communication  between  the  city  of  New  V^rk  and  C^ada, 
and  to  separate  the  New  England  from  the  other  states.  The  plan 
TT^t  ?  ^"^r  P*?'  •  General  Burgoyne,  with  the  main  body  of 
the  army  from  Canada,  was  to  advance  by  the  way  of  Lake  Cham- 

te  ^""a  HT^u  ^""f  *^?;  •*•  ^^^^P/'  ^^**^  ^^^  ^°y«>  ™y  from  New 
nn/it'  //«tf*ijjnent  of  British  soldiers  and  a  large  body  of  Indians, 
under  Colonel  St.  Leger,  with  a  regiment  of  New  YoVk  loyalists, 
under  Sir  John  Johnson,  were  to  ascend  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Lake 
Ontario  and  penetrate  towards  Albany  by  way  of  the  Mohawk  river. 
General  Burgoyne.  with  an  army  of  more  than  7.000  men,  exclusive 
of  a  corps  of  artillery  and  a  large  body  of  Indians,  invested  S 

GenSl'S  rf-^'^  .f  •^"""-  ?^l^  ^■^^•^^^^^  ^^«  abandonded  by 
General  St.  Clair,  on  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The  rear-guard 
of  the  American  army,  consisting  of  1,000  men.  under  Colonel  IVar- 
ner.  was  overtaken  and  defeated  at  Hubbardston.  General  Schuyler, 
who  commanded  at  Fort  Edward,  was  obliged  to  retire  to  Sarato/a 
before  the  superior  force  of  the  enemy.  Wliile  the  British  were  en- 
camped at  I^ort  Edward,  a  detachment,  nnd^r  HnU^.i  p„„l  ..T, 
»em  to  take  possession  of  the  American  stores  VBennington,"inlhe 


88 


OUTLINB   HIITORT. 


New  Hampshire  grants.  General  Stark  collected  the  militia  in  that 
vicinity,  and  an  obstinate  engagement  took  place,  in  which  the  British 
were  totally  defeated.  On  the  3d  of  August,  St.  Leger,  with  about 
1,800  men,  invested  Fort  Schuyler,  under  the  command  of  General 
Gansevoort.  He  had  a  severe  conflict  with  General  Herkimer,  who 
was  advancing  to  the  relief  of  the  garrison,  and  was  obliged  to  aban- 
don the  siege  and  return  to  Montreal.  General  Burgoyne,  having 
advanced  as  far  as  Saratoga,  found  himself  surrounded  by  a  brave 
army,  from  which  he  endeavored  m  vain  to  effect  a  retreat.  In  this 
extremity,  on  the  17th  of  October,  he  was  compelled  to  surrender  his 
whole  army,  consisting  of  more  than  5,700  men,  to  General  Gates. 

During  the  operations  at  Saratoga,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  with  three 
thousana  men, proceeded  up  the  Hudson,  with  the  view  of  effecting 
a  diversion  in  fevor  of  Burgoyne.  On  the  6th  of  October,  he  made 
an  attack  on  forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton.  These  works  were  car- 
ried at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  but  most  of  the  garrisons  escaped. 
Forts  Independence  and  Constitution  were  evacuated,  and  General 
Putnam,  who  had  the  command  on  the  Hudson,  retreated  to  Fishkill. 
General  Tryon  on  the  following  day  burned  Continental  Village, 
where  considerable  stores  were  deposited ;  General  Vaughan  with  a 
strong  detachment,  proceeding  up  the  river,  devastatecT  the  settle- 
ments along  its  banks,  burned  the  village  of  Kingston,  and  then  em- 
barked for  New  York. 

In  the  campaigns  of  1778  and  1779,  nothing  decisive  was  effected  ; 
the  British  engaged  in  no  enterprise  of  much  importance,  and  appear 
to  have  aimed  at  little  more  than  to  plunder  and  devastate  the  unpro- 
tected parts  of  the  country.  Many  acts  of  cruelty  were  committed, 
and  a  great  amount  of  public  and  private  property  destroyed.  The 
main  body  of  the  American  army  was  concentrated  near  West  Point, 
for  the  protection  of  that  important  fortress.  General  Clinton,  having 
seized  the  works  at  Verplanck's  Necit  and  Stoney  Point,  Genersu 
Washington  formed  a  design  for  their  recovery.  The  reduction  of 
the  fortress  at  Stoney  Point  by  Gen.  Wayne,  by  assault,  on  the  16th 
of  July,  1779,  was  one  of  the  most  bold  and  daring  enterprises  which 
occurred  during  the  war. 

The  Indians  of  the  Six  Nations  (with  the  exception  of  the  Oneidas 
and  a  few  others)  had  been  induced  by  the  presents  and  promises  of 
Sir  John  Johnson,  and  with  the  desire  of  plunder,  to  invade  the  fron- 
tiers, and  wherever  they  went  they  carried  slaughter  and  devasta- 
tion. To  put  a  stop  to  these  incursions,  congress,  in  August,  1779, 
sent  General  Sullivan  with  an  army  against  them.  Sullivan,  with  a 
force  of  3,000  men,  marched  from  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  to  Tioga 
Point,  where  he  was  joined  by  General  Clinton,  who  marched  from 
the  Mohawk  with  a  force  of  about  one  thousand  men.  The  Indians 
collected  their  forces,  and  took  a  strong  position  near  Newtown,  Tioga 
county,  determining  to  resist  the  advance  of  Sullivan.  They  stood 
a  cannonade  for  more  than  two  hours,  during  which  time  they  repelled 
several  assaults ;  they  were,  however,  compelled  to  give  way  and 
abandon  their  works.  Geueiais  Sullivan  and  Clinton  penetrated  with- 


J 


OUTLINB    HMTOKY.  |Q 

out  obstruction  into  ^he  heart  of  the  Seneca  country,  and  spread  deso- 
lation  on  every  side,  Eighteen  towns  and  villages,  besides  hamlets 
and  detached  habitations,  were  burnt.  All  their  fields  of  com,  their 
orchards  and  gardens,  were  entirely  destroyed.  By  this  summary 
proceeding  the  ardor  of  the  Indian  warriors  was  damped,  and  their 
inroads  became  much  less  frequent  and  destructive. 

At  the  period  of  ^is  expedition,  different  parts  of  the  state  suffered 
seyerdy  from  the  depredations  of  detached  parties  of  Indians.  In 
iuhi^-^r  ^^^^^^'  with  a  party  of  Indians  and  royalists,  burned 
the  Mmisink  settlement  and  took  several  prisoners.  In  August,  the 
Indians  with  their  tory  associates  destroyed  the  settlements  at  Cana- 
joharie,  and  burnt  a  number  of  houses  at  Schoharie  and  Norman's 
creek.  In  Uctober,  these  irruptions  were  renewed,  a  great  extent  of 
country  about  the  Mohawk  was  laid  waste,  and  many  of  the  settlers 
were  killed  or  made  prisoners. 

During  the  year  1780  and  1781,  the  operations  of  the  war  were 
chiefly  conducted  m  the  southern  states,  the  British  occupying  the 

m  Lnll^"^  ^?'^u^**A^*'  "^.'^^^^y-    '»  l^®^''  ^  P'°t.  fraught \    \  im- 
minent  danger  to  the  American  cause,  was  happily  discovereu    Gen- 
eral Arnold  having  solicited  and  obtained  the  command  of  West 
n)int,  entered  into  a  negotiation  with  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  to  deliver 
that  important  fortress  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.     To  facilitate 
the  correspondence,  John  Andre,  the  adiutant-general  of  the  British 
army,  proceeded  up  the  Hudson  in  the  Vulture  sloop-of-war,  as  near' 
West  I'omt  as  practicable,  without  exciting  suspicion.    On  the  night 
of  September  21st,  Andre  went  on  shore  in  a  toat,  and  met  Arnold 
on  the  beach.    Failing  to  get  on  board  the  Vulture  again.  Andre  at- 
tempted to  return  to  New  York  by  land,  in  disguise.    Receiving  a 
passport  from  Arnold,  he  passed  the  guards  and  outposts  without 
suspicion.     When  about  thirty  miles  from  New  York,  he  was  met 
by  three  niilitia-men,  Paulding,  Williams,  and  Van  Wert,  who,  re- 
lusmg  the  bribes  which  Andre  offered,  carried  him  to  their  command- 
ing  officer.   He  was  tried  as  a  spy  by  a  board  of  officers,  condemned, 
and  executed. 

The  capture  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  Virginia,  convinced  the 
British  government  of  the  impracticability  of  conquering  the  United 
^tates.  The  provisional  articles  of  peace  between  the  two  countries 
T^Io  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^",^'  November  30th.  1782.  On  the  19th  of  April, 
1783,  a  formal  proclamation  of  the  cessation  of  hostilities  was  made 
throughout  the  army  and  the  definitive  treaty,  acknowledging  the 
independence  of  the  United. States,  was  signed  on  the  30th  ofSep- 
tember.  The  British  troops  evacuated  New  York  on  the  25th  of 
iNovember.  and  the  Americans  took  possession  the  same  day. 

Ihe  termination  of  the  revolutionary  war,  and  the  adoption  of  the 
federal  constitution  m  1788,  gave  a  new  aspect  to  the  affairs  of  the 
country.  During  the  war  a  considerable  portion  of  New  York  was 
m  possession  of  the  enemy,  and  many  of  its  most  fertile  tracts  open 
to  their  ravages:  many  of  the  new  settlements  were  broken  up.  On 
me  return  oi  peace  these  were  resumed,  and  many  others  commenced^ 


OUTfilNR    HIITOIV. 


which  progressed  with  astonishing  rapidity.  Commerce,  alio,  expe- 
rienced a  rapid  revival  on  the  return  of  peace.  In  1791,  the  export! 
to  foreign  ports  amounted  to  above  two  million  five  hundred  thousand 
dol)ars.  In  17Q3,  six  hundred  and  eighty-three  foreign  vesseli,  and 
one  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty-one  coasting  vessels,  entered 
thejport  of  New  York. 

Tlie  controversy  relative  to  the  New  Hampshire  grants  still  con- 
tinued. Frequent  application  had  been  made  by  both  parties  to  the 
general  congress  for  the  interference  of  that  body,  but  no  decisive 
result  was  obtained.  In  1780,  the  legislature  passed  an  act  in  order 
to  settle  this  controversy,  and  acknowledging  the  territory  as  an  in- 
dependent state.  Commissioners  were  mutually  appointed,  and  in 
1790,  after  a  controversy  of  twenty-six  years,  the  subject  was  brought 
to  an  amicable  adjustment.  In  1791,  the  new  state  was  admitted  into 
the  Union,  with  the  name  of  Vermont. 

In  1786,  the  state  of  New  York,  to  quiet  or  put  at  rest  certain  an- 
tiquated claims  of  Massachusetts  to  a  portion  other  territory,  granted 
that  state  large  tracts  of  vacant  lands.  These  lands  consisted  of  two 
parts :  one  part  comprehended  all  that  part  of  the  state  lying  west 
of  a  line  beginning  at  the  north  at  the  mouth  of  Great  Sodus  boy, 
on  Lake  Ckitario,  and  running  thence  southerly  to  the  north  line  of 
Pennsylvania,  except  one  mile  on  the  east  side  of  Niagara  river,  and 
the  islands  in  that  stream.  This  tract  consisted  of  six  millions  one 
'  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  acres,  and  was  called  the  Genesee 
Country.  The  other  tract  comprehended  ten  or  twelve  townships, 
of  six  square  miles  each,  embraced  in  the  counties  of  Broome  and 
Tioga.  These  cessions  embraced  about  10,000  square  miles,  nearly 
one  fourth  of  the  state.  New  York  ceding  every  thing,  save  sove- 
reignty, to  Masiachusetts  without  an  jquivalent.  The  government 
of  Massachusetts  sold  the  first  tract  to  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel 
Gorham,  for  one  million  of  dollars,  and  the  other  to  John  Brown 
and  others,  for  three  thousand  three  hundred  dollars  and  some  cents. 

The  **  JlftWtery  Lands,**  as  they  were  called,  were  set  apart  by  the 
legislature,  in  1782,  for  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  state  of  New 
York,  who  should  serve  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  till  the  end 
of  the  war,  according  to  law.  The  military  tracts  contained  about 
'  one  million  eight  hundred  thousand  acres,  comprehending,  generally 
■peaking,  the  counties  of  Onondaga,  Cortlandt,  Cayuga,  Tompkins, 
and  Seneca,  and  parts  of  the  counties  of  Oswego  and  Wayne.  Pre- 
vious to  the  cession  made  to  Massachusetts,  and  the  grant  made  to 
the  soldiers,  the  Indian  title  was  not  ^tinguished.  Messrs.  Phelps 
and  Gorham,  and  the  government  of  New  York,  had  to  extinguish 
these  before  settlements  could  be  made.  The  first  permanent  settle- 
ment made  in  the  western  territory  was  by  Hugh  White,  in  1784,  in 
.company  with  four  or  five  families  from  C<Hmecticut,  who  seated 
themselves  at  Whitestown,  near  Utica. 

A  party  of  emigrants,  in  1790  or  1791,  made  a  road  through  the 
woods  from  the  settlements  of  Whitestown  to  Canandaigua.  Emigra- 


n 


hoti  now  uicrcosuu 


irOiii  ycoi: 


lU 


ycsx. 


Wiiiicr   VeaS 


i,iiS  5€a50n 


ocTUMB  auToar. 


i\»o,  expe- 
le  exports 
1  thousand 
issels,  and 
Is,  entered 

still  con- 
tics  to  the 
0  decisive 
;t  in  order 

as  an  in- 
)d,  and  in 
M  brought 
nitted  into 

lertain  an- 
y,  granted 
ted  of  two 
ying  west 
odus  bay, 
rlh  line  of 
river,  and 
illions  one 
le  Genesee 
townships, 
oome  and 
les,  nearly 
ave  sove- 
}vemment 
Nathaniel 
iin  Brown 
3me  cents, 
lart  by  the 
te  of  New 
ill  the  end 
nod  about 
generally 
Tompkins, 
ime.  Pre- 
t  made  to 
rs.  Phelps 
extinguish 
lent  settle- 
n  1784,  in 
ho  seated 

rough  the 

.  Emigra- 
,1.- ~ 

.11?  scasvu 


41 


wually  choMn  for  emigrating  from  New  England  to  the  western 
country  Then,  as  the  country  was  shaded  by  forest  trees,  there  wm 
uSfnf-Sr  Tu^^  for  -leighing.  In  /700,  the  British  ev^" 
uatod  forts  Oswegatchie  and  Oswego,  and  immediately  afterwani  mI 
ments  were  begun  at  these  places.  In  1797  and  1798,  wTtSment. 
were  commenced  at  Lowvlllo,  Watertown,  and  BrownvilirrSJ 
countu,s  of  Lewis  and  Jefferson.  Settlements  were  now  iipldTy«! 
tended  on  every  side.  The  settlements  along  the  great  roVd  ?,S^ 
Ut.ca  to  Genesee  nver,  were  mostly  connected  by  thfyear  1800^ 

lircounciK  th'e%rtr  ^^""^^'^  ^^^^"^  ^  -'^^  cLsequenit 

♦Ki"«i^^*'?°''°''"°'"^'i'"*P"'**^^'"»  for  eighteen  years  discharired 
the  office  of  governor  declined  a  re-election  on  account  of  su."a^ 
the  republican  pnnc.ple  of  rotation  in  office.  He  was  succeeded  b? 
John  Jay,  who  contmued  in  the  office  till  1801,  when  Mr.  Clintra 
agam  accepted  a  re-election.  In  1796.  the  legiriature  graited  iS 
Oneida  Indians  an  annuity  o{$5,5li2,  in  lieu  of  all  formerSlatioM 
for  lands  purchased  in  1706;  $8,800  to  theCayugas;  and^SwS 
^eOnonaagas  A.  general  organization  act  wf.  passed  inlwh 
dividing  the  state  into  thirty  counties.  Mr.  Clinton,  havimr  Sen 
elected  vice-president  of  the  Onited  States.  Morgan  Lewis TcceedS 
him  as  governor,  in  1804.     Mr.  Lewis  was  succeeded  by  Danfel 

t^i  Jt- Stele"  ''"'•  '^'''"^'  '^'  "'^"^  y^^''  ^«'  made  tL  S^l 
In  1810.  an  act  was  passed  by  the  legislature  "for  exploring  the 
route  of  an  inland  navigation  from  Huron's  river  to  LaSe  oSario 
and  Lake  Erie."  Commissioners  were  appointed  for  this  purww 
who  made  a  report  the  following  year.*  "Ee  subject  now  C  to 
excite  general  mterest,  and  a  bill  being  introduced  WUr.  CI^Cm 

ratroFT^;7'"PT'^^  ^^r'^^  improvement  of  KteraauiS 
gaUon  of  the  state."    Commissioners  were  again  appointed  to  wlicrt 

ton  and  Lake  Erie,  to  the  end  that  oonffress  mav  ba  nnlhi!^  .„  .--    "f*"^'  V*»e  Ibid. 

Ooidon,  in  his  very  able  Oaaetteer,  "  waa  receWedfv  th«  C  .  J^  P«»P<wtion,"  uyi 
•urpriae  and  ridicule,  a.  are  due  to  a  v"ii  S  „ J  foolJh  Tnil!^*  T^  eipreanon.  of 
however,  firmly  auatained  by  the  prol^^^ibitentSZl  .JJoZ  5"^*'"^ 
principle, '  that  it  could  do  no  harm  an^initeht  do  aonw  iJS  •  But  S«  i!^f  "*"*  •  "^"  *• 
|K>«e.M)d  in  favor  of  the  Oawego  rouS^KdTS  .S^Jor^' tV^^  "°'™»'"«^  *«: 
the  rive«.stre.n».  and  wate«/n  th.  -iJr^'bet^eTKnXlr  Jd  L^^^ 
muh  other  route  at  ho  might  detm  proper.-  shifting  to  the  •urvevor^^n.llh!  7.^!:^ 
bihty  of  countenancing  a  project  dee^Uabeurd.    Six  hundreTdSf  o^  cm-wT'^ 

cured  for  the  exp  oration When  in  Jami«™  1«M»  m!^     '^'        .•*  ^"  P*"" 

President  JefTerlion,  and  informed  h  m  Zt  b.  ^ew  of  S  ntJL^l  tiT^^'Vu""'*  T» 
revenues  of  the  naUon  in  making  roads  MdcS,[he.tateTNew  Wt  5"  '^F^ 
4e  route  of  a  canal  from  the  HudTon  to  Lake  EnTa^d  had  £nH  it  n«I  m^*^  '5'*'^^ 
he  had  described  all  the.  adv«.tages  anticipatS.Ve  n^TdlTii^r^r.^l^^ 

BBC  projooi,  ana  wvgU  be  moeuted  a  ernfury  kenco.' »  " '^ '    ""  "  ""^ 

6 


OUTUNK    HIITOIT. 


aid  from  the  congress  of  tho  United  States.  De  Witt  Clinton  and 
Governeur  Morris  were  appointed  to  lay  the  subject  before  the  gen- 
eral government.  Thev  proceeded  to  Washington,  and  presented  a 
memorial  to  congress ;  but  were  unsuccessful  in  their  application  to 
that  body  for  assistance.  In  March,  1813,  the  commissioners  again 
made  a  report  to  the  legislature,  and  insisted  that  now  sound  policy 
demanded  that  the  canal  should  be  made  by  the  state  on  lier  own 
account.  The  subject  was,  however,  soon  after  suspended  by  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain. 

War  having  been  declared  in  1812,  the  attention  of  the  Americans 
was  early  directed  to  the  invasion  of  Canada,  and  troops  to  the  num- 
ber of  eight  or  ten  thousand  were  collected  along  the  line  for  this 
purpose.  They  were  distributed  into  three  divisions ;  the  northwest- 
em  army,  under  General  Harrison ;  the  army  of  the  centre,  under 
General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  at  Lewiston  ;  and  the  army  of  the 
north,  in  the  vicinity  of  Plattsburg,  under  General  Dearborn,  the 
conunander-in-chief.  Great  exertions  were  also  made  in  preparing  a 
naval  force  upon  the  lakes,  the  command  of  which  was  mtrusted  to 
Commodore  Chauncey.  About  the  Ist  of  October,  Commodore  Chaun- 
cey,  with  a  body  of  seamen,  arrived  at  Sacketts  Harbor ;  several 
schooners  which  had  been  employed  as  traders  on  the  lake  were 

Purchased,  and  fitted  out  as  vessels  of  war.     Lieutenant  Elliot  was 
espatched  to  Black  Rock,  to  make  arrangements  there  for  building  a 
naval  force  superior  to  that  of  the  enemy  on  Lake  Erie. 

On  the  13th  of  October,  a  detachment  of  one  thousand  men  under 
Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  crossed  the  Niagara  river  at  Lewiston,  and 
attacked  the  British  on  the  heights  of  Queenston.  They  succeeded 
in  dislodging  the  enemy,  but  not  being  reinforced  from  the  American 
side,  as  was  expected,  were  afterward  repulsed,  and  compelled  to 
aurrender.  During  the  ensuing  winter,  the  operations  of  the  war  on 
the  New  York  frontier  were  mostly  suspencled.  Some  skirmishing 
took  place  along  the  St.  Lawrence ;  but  the  opposing  enemies  being 
divided  by  a  barrier  of  ice,  not  sufficiently  strong  to  admit  of  the 
transportation  of  artillery,  no  enterprise  of  importance  was  attempted. 
In  April,  1818,  General  Dearborn  made  dispositions  for  a  descent 
wpjon  York,  the  capital  of  Upper  Canada.  The  enterprise  was  com- 
mitted to  a  detachment  of  one  thousand  seven  hundred  men,  under 
the  command  of  General  Pike,  assisted  by  the  fleet  under  the  com- 
mand of  Commodore  Chauncey.  General  Pike  was  killed  in  the 
attack,  but  the  place,  with  large  quantities  of  military  stores,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Americans.  Commodore  Chauncey  having  returned 
with  the  fleet  to  Fort  Niagara,  it  was  immediately  resolved  to  make  a 
descent  upon  Fort  George,  situated  upon  the  opposite  shore.  An 
attack  was  made  on  the  27th  of  May,  and  after  a  short  contest  the 
place  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 

During  these  operations  of  the  Americans,  several  enterprises  were 
undertaken  by  the  enemy.  About  the  last  of  May,  a  detachment  of 
abput  one  thousand  British  soldiers,  under  Sir  George  Prevost,  made 
an  attack  on  Sacketts  Harbor,  but  '     '     "' 


wiara 


OUTUMB   HUTOftT.  ^f 

loM.    On  the  lOtli  of  September,  Commodore  Perry  captured  the 
British  fleet  on  Lake  Erie.    The  operations  on  Lake  Ontario  were 
leas  decisive.    Duruig  the  latter  part  of  summer  and  autumn,  frequent 
skirmishes  took  place,  but  no  important  advantage  was  obtained  by 
either  party.    After  the  victory  on  Lake  Erie,  great  preparations 
were  made  for  the  conquest  of  Montreal.    This  object  was  to  be 
eflfected  by  two  divisions  under  Generals  Wilkinson  and  Hampton, 
who  were  to  effect  a  junction  on  the  St.  Lawrence.    The  division 
under  Wilkinson  moved  down  the  river  early  in  November ;  on  the 
11th,  a  severe  but  indecisive  »;ngagement  with  the  enemy  took  place 
at  Williamsburg.    General  Hampton  made  u  short  incursion  into 
Canada,  but  no  junction  was  effected.     The  enterprise  against  Mon- 
treal was  abandoned,  and  the  troops  retired  to  winter  quarters  at 
French  Mills,  near  St.  Regis.     Fort  George  was  evacuated  and  blown 
up  by  the  Americans.    In  December,  the  British  crossed  over  above 
Fort  Niagara,  and  took  that  place  by  storm.    After  the  capture  of  the 
fort,  they  proceeded  up  the  river  and  burnt  Lowiston,  Youngstown, 
Manchester,  and  the  Indian  village  of  Tuscarora.    Cta  the  SOto,  a  de- 
tachment of  the  British  crossed  over  near  Black  Rock.    They  were 
feebly  opposed  by  the  militia,  who  soon  gave  way,  and  were  totally 
routed.     Having  set  fire  to  Black  Rock,  the  enemy  advanced  to 
Buffalo,  which  they  laid  in  ashes,  thus  Completing  the  desolation  of 
the  Niagara  frontier. 

Early  in  July,  1814,  Fort  Erie  was  taken  by  the  Americans,  and 
during  the  same  month  sanguinary  battles  were  fought  at  Chippewa 
and  Bridgewater.  On  the  11th  of  September,  Sir  George  Prevost, 
with  an  army  of  fourteen  thousand  men,  made  a  descent  upon  Platts- 
burg,  and  after  a  severe  engagement  was  compelled  to  retire  with 
great  loss.  The  British  fleet,  under  Commodore  Downie,  was  cap- 
tured by  Commodore  Macdonough,  on  the  same  day.  The  war 
was  terminated  by  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  signed  by  the  commissioners 
of  both  countries,  December  24th,  1814,  and  ratified  by  the  president 
and  senate  on  the  17th  of  the  following  February. 

On  the  termination  of  the  war,  the  consideration  of  the  great  plan 
for  the  internal  navigation  of  the  state  was  resumed.  During  the 
session  of  1817,  a  memorial  was  presented,  signed  by  upwards  of 
one  hundred  thousand  citizens,  calling  upon  the  legislature  to  pass 
laws  for  the  commencement  and  execution  of  the  proposed  canals. 
An  act  was  accordingly  passed,  and  large  appropriations  made  for 
this  purpose.  The  Erie  and  Champlain  canals  were  immediately 
commenced  and  vigorously  prosecuted.  The  Erie  canal,  from  Al- 
bany to  Buffalo,  was  completed  in  1825,  at  an  expense  of  about  eight 
millions  of  dollars,  and  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  works  of  the 
kind  ever  constructed.  The  Champlain  cand,  seventy-one  miles  in 
length,  was  completed  in  1823,  at  an  expense  of  $876,000. 

In  1817,  Governor  Tompkins  was  chosen  vice-president  of  the  Uni- 
ted States,  and  De  Witt  Clmton  was  elected  to  succeed  him  as  gov- 
ernor of  New  York.  In  1822.  Mr.  Clinton  declinhiflr  a  re-election,  he 
was  succeeded  by  Joseph  C.  Yates.    During  this  year,  (1822,)  the 


k 


44 


AUUMY  OOVNTr. 


eonstitution  of  the  state  having  been  revised  by  a  convention  at  Al- 
bany the  preceding  year,  was  accepted  by  the  people  in  January.  In 
18S4,  De  Witt  Ofinton  was  again  re-elected  to  the  office  of  governor. 
He  died  suddenly,  February  11th,  1828,  and  the  duties  of  his  office 
devolved  on  Nathaniel  Pitcher,  the  lieutenant-gov«mor.  Martin 
Van  Buren  was  next  elected  governor.  He  entered  on  the  duties  of 
the  offlee  on  the  Ist  of  January,  1829,  which,  after  holding  for  three 
Daonths,  he  resided.  He  was  succeeded  by  Enos  T.  Tbroop,  who 
exercised  the  office  of  governor  from  1829  to  1833,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William  L.  Marcy.  Governor  Marcy  was  succeeded  in 
the  office  of  governor  by  William  H.  Seward,  in  1837. 

In  the  year  1839,  an  outbreak  took  place  among  the  tenants  on  the 
Rensselaer  estate.    A  body  of  the  ^ntt-Renters,{BB  they  were  call- 
ed,) convened  at  Berne  on  the  fourth  of  July,  and  determined  to 
refuse  the  payment  of  rent.     The  Sheriff,  and  some  other  public  of- 
ficers were  resisted,  and  in  some  instances  barely  escaped  with  their 
lives.     The  Anti-Renters  while  engaged  in  these  proceedings  were 
disguisedfus  Indians  and  great  difficulty  was  found  by  the  officers  of 
justice   ih  identifying  the  persons  of  these  disturbers  of  the  public 
peace.     A  military  force  was  called  out,  and  the  difficulties  were  ap- 
parently suppressed.     But  the  rebellious  spirit  was  only  smothered 
for  a  short  period.     The  Anti-Renters  soon  met  asusual,  and  effected 
a  kini  of  organised  resistance  to  the  execution  of  the  laws. 
,,  J^.  ^^^»  "®^-  Seward  was  succeeded  in  the  office  of  Governor,by 
William  C.  Bouck.     During  his  administration,  on  the  20th  of  De- 
cember, two  p^ns  were  killed  by  the  Anti-Renters  in  Rensselaer 
County.     In  1846,  Gov.  Bouck  was  succeeded  in  office  by  Silas 
Wri«Tht.    'The  J^nti-Renters  still  continued  their  disturbances  and  on 
the  7th  of  August,  1845,  Dep.  Sheriff  Steele  was  murdered  at  Andes, 
while  serving  a  process  of  law.      Gov.  Wright  now  declared  Dela- 
ware County  to  be  in  a  state  of  insurrection  ;  a  military  force  was 
ordered  on  to  th^  scene  of  disorder  j  a  large  number  of  the  Anti-Ren- 
tf-s  were  seized,  and  imprisoned.     Two  of  the  ring  leaders  were 
saitenced  to  de^th  ;  but  subsequently  this  punishment  was  commut- 
ed to  imnrifinnment  for  life. 

In  June  1846,  a  convention  elected  by  the  people  to  revise  and  amend 
the  Constitution  of  the  State,  commenced  its  session  at  Albany,  and  in 
October  foUowmg,  reported  one  which  was  adopted  by  the  people  in  No. 
vember  by  a  majority  of  more  than  80,000  votes.  In  1847,  John  Young 
was  Governor,  he  was  succeeded  in  office  by  Hamilton  Fish,  who  was 
suoceded  in  1851  by  Washington  Hunt.  The  great  work,  the  New  York 
and  Ene  Railroad,  was  completed  at  an  expense  of  about  twenty.three 
millions  of  dollars,  in  1861. 


tt 


'*\ 


A;^ 


ALBAJnr  COCKTr. 


ALBANY  COUNTY. 

counties  in  the  stlte^vL    N^  Yo?k  wJ^K^l^^^  Aere  were  but  ten 
Ulster,  Albanv,  RicCnd  £wt'ul^^^^  ^«"««' 

then  embraced  the  whole  of  thp  fl«S»        V^   Suffolk.    This  county 
Ulster  and  west  of  t^  Hudso^  rivr««Z.n  ^'"'^  ^^'"8  °°«^  ^t 

ess  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson   '  hJ^  ?  all  northward  of  Dutch- 
greatest  breadth  21  miles  '**  «^***'*  ^""^th  now  is  28,  and 

are'atafK^^  Along  the  Hudson 

some  places  of  h"gh  cXa^S^   f^^^      «  width    susceptible  in 
abrupt  140  feet.  fndlS^LdS^^^  «"^^«  "»«» 

On  the  Mohawk,  the  land  is  broW  iS SLI^  j  *°  *i?®  mountams. 
the  west  are  the  HeldeVberff  X  ;3*^^»  '  """**  r*"™"y  ^^^n^e ;  on 
of  calcareous  lofm  CeSraSv  Z  P"?'  ^"^  ^««y'  ^^^h  a  soil 
grounds  and  Vl^Z^n^ZA^LT^Z^^^^^  ^^^^ 
and  clay,  but  which  of  late  years  have  been  SlvW^  Tu  '*"''' 
sum,  converting  the  pinv  and  sarSv  Hp^!.?  ^?  7  ^''^'''^ed  by  gyp. 

j^p.  .ghuna.  .44^r  i.:s„n^vsT js^^^^^ 

abound.    At  the  villaire  of  rfu.',Try^^,..  ■       "'^™®'- .  JWmeral  spnngs 
magnesia,  mur^te  7Le  S^Tubhuret^S' h  T'"''*  ""JP^'^  ^^ 

Bethlehem,        Knox,  Watervliet,       ' 

Jame"  own  tt  ^  ttJtltlement^  1^  ?^'  -<»  -«  to 
teen  United  States,  lies  tn^l^S'  ""fc^^Ja^        CT"^  ^hi. 

Washmgton  It  received  its  present  name  inSe  ve«  ifi^i  •  'u^°™ 
of  James,  duke  of  York  and  Alh«n«  «,t  1  y®"/o64,  m  honor 
throne  of  England  as  Jam^  'V?"'yi,.'^'^°.  ^f^^vr^^  mounted  the 
.«^«„A L.°i^"  as  James    u.     it»  on/jmal  Indian   n.m»  — 


J'iiig  "  ^/ie  end  of  the  pine  woods"  aid  ^ 


4IU 


ALBANY   OOUNTT. 


name  for  the  same  reason  was  applied  by  the  aborigines  to  the  site 
of  the  city  of  Schenectady,  where  it  is  yet  retained  with  a  slight  va- 
riation in  the  orthography.  The  Dutch  named  Albany  «*Beaver- 
wyck,"  [i.  e.  Beaver-town,]  and  afterward,  •*  Willemstadt.**  It  was 
never  known  as  Fort  Orange,  or  Urania,  as  has  been  asserted ;  but 
the  fort  only  was  called  Fort  Orange.*  Albany  was  probably  never 
visited  by  tn  white  man  till  Sept.,  1610,  when  Hendricke  Chrystance, 
who  was  sent  up  the  river  by  Henry  Hudson  to  explore  the  country, 
first  landed  here;  and  as  fdr  as  can  be  learned  from  tradition  and 
some  documentary  ei/idence,  he  landed  somewhere  in  the  present 
North  Market  street.  In  that  or  the  succeeding  year,  a  party  of 
the  Dutch  built  a  blockhouse  on  the  north  point  of  Boyd's  Island,  a 
short  distance  below  the  Albany  ferry. 

This  house  was  erected  for  a  two-fold  purpose ;  first,  to  open  a 
trade  with  the  Indians  for  furs;  the  next,  to  secure  themselves  against 
any  sudden  attack  from  the  savages.  But  it  was  soon  demolished, 
for  the  rext  spring's  freshet  and  ice  swept  the  whole  of  it  awaj. 
This  party  then  chose  a  hill,  subsequently  called  "  Kiddenhooghten,'  f 
within  two  miles  of  Albany,  for  the  erection  of  another  trading- 
house.  The  Indians  called  this  hill  '*Ta-wass-a-gun-shee,"  or  the 
"  Look-out  Hill."  Not  long  afterward,  this  spot  was  abandoned, 
and  a  more  convenient  nost  selected.  The  place  last  chosen  was  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  house  now  called  "  Fort  Orange  Hotel,"  in  South 
Market  street  The  Dutch  there  erected  a  Fort,  "  mounting  eight 
«tofc  pieces,"X  and  called  it  "  Fort  Orange." 

Until  after  the  year  1625,  the  Dutch  did  not  contemplate  making 
any  permanent  settlements  m  this  state.  They  merely  visited  the 
country  ia  the  autumn  and  winter,  with  a  view  to  the  fur  trade 
with  the  Indians,  returning  in  the  spring  to  Holland,  or  "  Vader- 
landt."  But  in  that  year,  the  Dutch  West  India  Company  first  en- 
tertained the  idea  of  colonizing  their  newly  discovered  territories  in 
America,  and  accordingly  offered  large  appropriations  of  land  to 
such  families  as  should  "  settle"  in  their  colony  of  New  Netherlands. 
This  soon  brought  many  over,  and  from  that  period  till  1635,  several 
of  our  most  respectable  Dutch  families  arrived;  among  them  were  the 
ancestors  of  the  Van  Schelluyne,  Quackenboss,  Lansing,  Bleeker, 
Van  Ness,  Pruyn,  Van  Woert,  Wendell,  Van  Eps,  and  Van  Rensse- 
laer families. 

It  does  not  appear  that  any  stone  or  brick  building  was  erected 
here  (the  fort  excepted)  untU  the  year  1647,  when,  according  to 


•  For  moat  of  the  statements  given  respecting  the  early  history  of  Albany,  the  «>rthore 
an  indebted  to  the  "  Historical  Reminiscences,"  published  in  the  American  Journal,  1835. 

i  Kiddenhooghten,  or  Kiddt-heighU  or  hiU,  received  its  name  about  the  year  1701;  and, 
according  to  tradition,  in  memory  of  the  pirate  Kidd,  so  celebrated  "  in  song  and  story," 
who  it  is  supposed  concealed  much  of  his  ill-gotten  treasure  in  the  vicinity.  It  is,  however, 
doubted  whether  Kidd  ascended  the  Hudson  as  far  as  Albany. 

I  According  to  Mr.  Vander  Kempt,  the  translator  of  our  Dutch  records,  they  were  called 
•*  Stien-gestucken,"  or ;  tone  pieces,  because  they  were  loaded  with  atone  instead  of  wwi 
bM..  They  were  forme  i  of  long  and  strong  iron  bars,  longitudinally  laid,  and  bound  with 
iron  hoops,  and  were  of  immense  caliber. 


; 


ALBANY  COUNTY. 


47 


Ln?  !  M^  Commiggary  De  la  Montagnie"  to  the  Dutch  gov- 
n^Vm^r.  ^'^Tl'^^"''  ^^^  York,)  a  ,tone  building  was  erected 
near  the  fort,  imd  he  complains  of  the  "enormous  libations"  upon 

«lt-***if*"?°     z,^^®**'.?^"*?  **^  completion:  "No  less"  (he  saVs) 
^   *'^®"  ^^^  ^'^^''^^  ""^  ^'^andy  were  consumed." 
About  100  years  smce,  Albany  was  protected  against  sudden  ir- 
rupUons  from  the  Indians  by  the  erection  of  palisades,*  part  of  the 

/nJIS^l  ,7*^°*"  ^^'^  "^r^^  ^'**»"»  **»«  last  forty  years.  Barrack 
(now  ChaTOl)  street,  was  the  principal  place  for  business.  The  gov- 
emment  of  the  city  was  extremely  rigid,  and  often  cruel ;  it  bore 
the  character  more  of  a  militari/  despotism  than  that  of  a  civil  po- 
lice;  heavy  penalties  were  imposed  for  the  least  infraction  of  the 
laws  regulating  the  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  many  famiUes  conse- 
quently ruined.  This  severity  drove  some  of  the  "traders"  to  the 
Schenectady  flats,  where  they  mtercepted  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  lur  on  Its  way  to  Albany,  and  which  occasioned  for  many  years 
the  most  bitter  ammosities  between  the  inhabitants  of  both  places, 
ihecirculatmg  medium  then  in  use  consisted  prmcipally  of  mvanL 
or  wampum.  »        r    .^  i 

Ministers  of  the  reformed  religion  were  regularly  sent  out  from 
Holland  to  the  colony.  In  1657,  the  Rev.  Gideon  Schaats  sailed 
S?™*  t"^^*®!?^"*  "*'  ""*  colony,  and  about  the  same  time  the  Dutch 
West  fadia  Company  wrote  a  letter,  stating  that  they  would  send  a 
beU  md&  pulpit, "  for  the  inhabitants  of  Fort  Orange,  and  of  the  vil- 
lage ot  Beaverwick,  for  their  newly  constructed  little  church.'^  In 


Ancient  Dutch  Church,  Albany. 

1716,  this  church  became  too  small  for  the  congregation,  and  the 
proprietors  adopted  a  singular  mode  of  enlarging  it.  Beyond  and 
on  every  side  ot  the  ancient  building,  they  sunk  a  new  stone  wall ; 

j^*  J''^''j''-""J''f''  i°"^*<«*  ?f  l«"?e  pieces  of  timber  in  close  contact  with  each  other, 
dnyen  endwise  into  the  ground,  and  oatu  or  oneninn  werp  n-ad"  »»  »uitaKi«  i«ts~.i. 
W&icii  were  eiuaed  ai  night.  ~  '  ""' 


•  ALBANY  oovmnr. 

nL5!!  ^*»"?^»*io°  *h«y  raided  a  lai^  rtruotum.  Hatii«  th»  com- 
ptetely  encloi«sd  the  fint  church,  they  took  it  down  u^^n^J^S^ 
Whole  with  only  U»e  lo„  of  public  «p  for  Ze^^i^br^^'^lt 
Trvi^h^'.f'l^t  ^"^  *^  constructed*^^  thi.  manner,  wks  on^ 
atory  high,  of  Gothic  appearance,  havinij  its  windows  richlv  n^T 

STvW^?  """^^  of  armTxhis  churchfof  whiS^'p^cfc^ 
gtjving  m  a  representation,  stood  about  niaety-two  yea^s  in  X  ?wn 
area  formed  by  the  angle  of  State,  Market,^and  Jourt  SrSts  '^^ 
was  taken  down  m  1806,  and  the  stone  of  which  it  was  cS^cted 
was  used  in  the  erection  of  the  South  Dutch  ChurchT "tw^^id 
Jon  and  Beaver  streets.    Fort  Orange,  on  the  rivrbanL^ZaVs^' 
'^^T  ^««   ^"t  a  slight  fortificatiSi     In  1639.  a^ffi  w« 
'H'Sf^..^^  commandant  of  the  fort  to  GoTstlyveS  1^2^ 
-that  the  fort  was  in  a  miserable  state  of  decay. 7^ ^2^/^/^ 
*f^.^'^oyedap^rtof  it,"    A  later  work  built  o?st^  wfs  eSd 
on  the  nver  h.ll.  at  the  west  end  of  State-street    The  EtJl^  CWh 
was  just  below  it,  at  the  west  end  of  a  market.  ^ 

„,k-i^  J  ^®l"  *A^*®'!'  ^^  government  of  Beaverwick.  or  Albanv 
while  under  the  Dutch  rule  was  rigid  and  arbitral  It  was  inTh^' 
hands  of  three  or  more  "  commisswies."  appointed  L  theTovernor 
and  council,  who  usually  held  their  offices  for  one  year     WifhonMhl 

Shoa^  In  i«i;  T*'  "i^'^^ctones,  stores,  shops,  taverns,  or 
beer-houses.  In  1647,  Jan  La  Battie  applied  for  permission  « to 
bulB  a  brewwy,"  which  was  granted  "  on£  paying  VeaSv  aS^iaa^ 

SneraltVrL^'r  ''  T"^  ^'«^^^  dolla?s.^  $^1^  J^r^ 
generally  farmed  out,  or  sold  at  auction;  and  during  this  vear  am? 

several  years  afterward,  the  duties  on  beer  in  Bea^fwS  IxcLZa 
eight  hundred  dollars  The  fines  imposed  S-  thnSon  S  ^r^^ 
th^f  ;7.r  ^^^y  distributed  in  the  sentence  in  Ss  way :  "one 
I?to'rnry-gtS!?^  <»«  third  to  the  public,  and  one  thirJ  to  Z 

brick,  and  the  moT^  rfDlwk. Ww    Th/^  «  ""•*  to  the  •&««;  the  enda  were  of 

(porches)  thepeoJT^'^^SWS  S^cTall^on  ^^- J'  "^V^^^ 
evenings  they  wen  fiUed  witfa  both  «mm  Th-^,!!!^'^  j-  "?**'  ■**'' '  ""'*  >»  f"* 
P<««»ing  their  fiee  ^ ^^^L^mJlS  ^^^i^iT^  K"^.  "^  '^'  *=««'• 
•nd  their  chimnies  wen  m  iri&  olt^^ZX-     .u^}^  ^  knowledge  of  stoves, 

where  prevailed;  but  their  diWui  gTnetSw^^ts^^ll,  f^'^'^  ™»°°«» -very, 
garded  as  close  in  traffic:  were  verrTi«.i  ?„  .^^  u  "*'"*  '*"™'  They  were  re. 
women  were  over.„i<^  o  eSelJ  koS  adZJ"^  ^'''°'''"°^ ^^  '"«''  Their 
week ;  rising  very  eariy  and  gS1?d^e™t  ^t  ^*°^*"  "'^"^  "^«"'  ^«"  » 
Their  brmBut  was  fe«  wiSiout^i^  «J?L  ^  ^v    T''^"  """"^  *«"  "^iefly  negroes. 

Thei,  dinner  was  "uSr^at"L"t^:nnXto'^r.K  "'*  "^^  "^'r^^^' 

d8hcious."_Jrat«,n',  aefcA*.  0/  oE  sKn  i^  F^J  ^"*''*'  "*"'  "  '"'  **"'»'«' 

river,  «,d  extended  northwellttolKorftne  of  Se^r^^^^^^ 
Klaer,  «d  retaimng  that  «,idth  thirteen  and  X-fn!!l!.'?tS"„  £*??: 


lafkig  thn  com- 
and  removed  the 
a  labbatiM.  The 
Banner,  was  one 
ows  richly  oma- 
he  preceding  en- 
rears  in  the  open 
ourt  streets.  It 
was  constructed 
1,  between  Hud- 
bank,  appears  to 
complaint  was 
yvesant,  stating 
tnd  that  the  hogs 
>ne  was  erected 
English  Church 

ick,  or  Albany, 
.    It  was  in  the 
y  the  governor 
r.    Without  the 
to  build  houses, 
ops,  tavenis,  or 
permission  **to 
yearly  six  beav- 
le  duties  were 
I  this  year  and 
wick  exceeded 
elation  of  ordi- 
Ws  way :  "  one 
le  third  to  the 

B.  All  the  people 
;  the  ends  were  of 
'ent  out  almost  to 
u  At  the  etoopea 
raide;  and  in  the 
rason  of  the  cattle 
owledge  of  atoves, 

e  cart  and  horaea. 
ch  mannera  every. 
1.    They  were  re. 

and  diet.  Their 
ila  several  timea  a 
re  chiefly  negroea. 
t  into  the  mouth, 
ar,  it  was  deemed 

lor  Dongan's 
5  mile  on  the 
uior  of  Reus- 


tS 


'  f, 


,1 '  .'at'-. 


yj^  ■[ 


r^  . 


■^J* ,■;•..  ;.- 


--."VV^. 


1^ 


ALBANT  ootmrr. 


on  this  foundation  they  raised  a  larger  structure,    Hatiag  thoa  com- 


f.Ji«  an;,.-. 


a. 


S>(H',f^ 


^^K 


(»«•. 


•.  .  ^■,    whs  CU,u 

.     .  •,„  ^  •■>.  '.n  th  /;  •!,-  . 

'»rius«f»      r  to*»  river  b.;jk,  ap|»jars  to 

'■.aUinti.     is   ti'tWf   s, -MJfnwa-iitv   was 

.•..-,..•-.   -.  u-c  '-"'    -        '    '^fi^svi'sssuii,  .Ktaung 

m  H '».in<?pefHb.:'  /!    i  .  ■..  and  that  Uv^hvgs 

-if  iV."     /i  later  work  =»tjfflll  at  St.; sic  waa  uuicted 

v:-"  ■" •■  -nd  of. iStat" '•-'••"-?     Th;'  ..inuliiihChurd-! 

il  vvrra  3n  the 


'r^«    oat    ili!1V>*S    ',! 


y  V.  ;  n    ■ 

<=■.  rfi,-:.;,i; 

je«.  c(.>i.ik 

..-  .wR  i<   i 

-<n»l  V, 

> 

.   tn'ja! 

a  ccr  Had  hap;',* 


.1 

■'tliX 

<  ■■■a-A  A 

.■.■.>j,i-Oic». 

i  n;oath. 
a  the 

I    •  ^        i 

Hf-as" 

pit, 


■*I 


I; 


iag  thos  com- 

J-re-     I  ■    '  :lu5 

\^'\S  Oil.. 

■   "-na- 
}>rCv  ttiiig  '-•■•"■ 

rt  strw^ts.     It' 

!>e'its'.-eii  Huii 
!j4i,  ap|)4!ars  to 
»)fAwaiii''   was 
i'ssatii,  .«tauog 

e  waa  oj  ttcted 


n.-'- 


nj 


?:'!r: 


;  r  Aioany, 
u.  was  in  the 

:•!«!?' If  «>v<5mor 


Ijirinrs  i)? 


j>«- 


;l    fstowi-i    '.1 

<r^t  she  stoopw 

and  in  ^!wJ 


•.■•.Mi«r3  «■*.•■•>;.• 

vt>r;d  limes  » 
the  rj;oiMh,  - 


;'U  the 


anr'T  0 


•1^ 


''^:> «. 


"xt^iv^    ^*'— jgdtWiH'- 


■J^ 


*4. 


•»^yii>t'«-''' 


^ 


"*%i 


ALBANY  COUNTY.  jn 

w  ^I^*^]!?  ^®?®^  "*  the  corporation.  Iti  bounds  were  enlarsed 
by  the  ««<i»S<>n  of  part  of  the  small  town  of  Colonie,  in  1816,  wlSS 
now  forms  the  fifth  ward.  The  government  of  the  city  is  now  lodged 
m  a  mayor,  recorder,  ten  aldermen,  and  ten  assistant  aldermen,  who 
are  ammallv  elected  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  May.    The  plat  on  which 

frL  fi?; "  .  "  T^^"-  .  ^  L°^  ^'"^'^>  fl^*  «»t«»d»  Jong  the  river 
from  fifteen  to  one  hundred  rods  wide ;  west  of  which  rises  abruptly 
a  lull  of  clay  md  sand,  m  the  first  half  mile  one  hundred  and  ^. 
three  feet,  and  m  the  next  about  sixty-seven  feet  high;  from  tKls 
summit  the  country  extends  m  nearly  an  even  plain  to  Schenectady. 
Tht  LK^"  of  Albany,  necessarify  makes  it  a  great  thoroughfaii. 

Il^  P'^^-°  ""i^^  ^'^^^'^  ^""^  «^^«»  it  *  g^e^t  commercial  im- 
portance, makmff  it  the  entrepot  for  a  great  proportion  of  the  pro- 

trad«  t'S^u'^'l^'  ^^^  ^^^^  '^^^'''  To^Sommodate^S 
whinA  on  /i?  ^"^J^^  constructed  by  the  citizens  on  the  river,  in 
ZnS  ♦  ^V'^l."°i^®™  ."^**  ^^'t®™  canal  boats  are  received.  It 
t?2TA  P*^?  ""^  ^  3  river  included  between  the  shore  and  a  pier 
eighty  feet  wide,  anu  four  thousand  three  hundred  feet  lone-  the 
Fer  contams  about  eight  acres,  on  which  store,  have  l^en  bSlt.  ^d 

SSdtTXr?*'r  ^^  ^"^^^^^  <>^  article,  of  trade  are 
aeponted.    The  basm  has  an  area  of  thirty-two  acres. 


"^^-■r-   „^- 


/l 

ji^.: 

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5^ 

f    „  i           .   J     ' 

H 

4 

'IM' 

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!  -  ! 

Tli 


State  and  City  Halls,  Albany. 
The  above  is  a  west  view  of  the  State  and  City  Halls,  the  fronts 

of  white  marble,  hewed  out  by  the  state  prisoners,  at  Sing  Sine,  and 
disUneuishcd  above  all  other  edifices  in  this  coiitry  b?  its^fiS 
rfo«j«,Tike  the  Invalides  at  Paris.  It  was  completed  in  Scember,1S 
Lj  the  rotunda  of  this  building  there  is  a  statue  of  Hamilton,  a  cow^ 
of  that  by  Greenough,  m  the  Sferchants'  Exchange,  destroyed  by  the 
^eat  fire  m  New  fork,  in  1836.  There  are  also  two  desi^is  in  W 
rehef,  executed  by  W.CoflTee.  at  th«  cn»t  «f  tko  ^U'— --  ~-r_-_T_  _ 
tive  „.■  D.  Witt- Clinton  «ii&rW^eri:;oit-Ti^TTZhli 


M 


ALBANY   COUNTY. 


introduced  in  thedesiji^s;  tiiat  of  Clinton  is  surrounded  bv  figures, 
representing  Commerce,  Agriculture,  Science,  a  canal  lock,  ^c.  The 
bust  of  Scott  is  accompanied  with  a  female  figure,  presenting  a  volume 
inscribed  "  Marmion ;'  the  words  "  Minstrer  and  "  Waverly"  appear 
on  a  scroll  below ;  the  Genius  of  History,  Fame,  and  the  emblems  of 
death  and  immortality,  are  also  introduced.  The  New  State  Hall,  par- 
tially seen  on  the  left,  was  commenced  in  1835.  It  covers  an  area  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-eicht  by  eighty-eight  feet,  and  is  sixty-five  feet 
in  height.  The  materials  of  the  building  are  brick  and  stone ;  the 
exterior  faced  with  marble,  from  Mount  Pleasant ;  the  ceilings  are 
arched  with  brick,  and  the  whole  fire-proof.  This  edifice  contains 
the  offices  of  the  secretary  of  state,  comptroller,  treasurer,  attorney- 
general,  surveyor-general,  <&c. 


East  View  of  the  Capitol  at  Albany. 

'Hie  above  is  an  eastern  view  of  the  capitol,  situated  at  the  head 
of  State-street,  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
river.    It  is  substantially  built  of  stone,  at  an  expense  of  $120,000,  of 
which  the  city  corporation  paid  $34,000.     The  hall  of  the  repre- 
sentatives and  the  senate  chamber,  each  contain  full  length  portraits 
of  Washmgton,  and  of  several  governors  of  the  state.     The  Academy 
IS  on  the  north  side  of  the  public  square ;  is  a  fine  building,  con- 
structed of  Nyac  stone,  three  stories  high  and  ninety  feet  front ; 
cost,  at  the  city  charge,  $90,000,  exclusive  of  the  site  and  some  im- 
portant donations.     The  Albany  Institute  has  commodious  apartments 
m  the  Academy.    lis  library  contains  about  two  thousand  volumes, 
and  its   museum  more  than  ten  thousand  specimens  in  geology, 
mineralogy,  botany,  coins,  engravings,  casts,  &c.    It  publishes  its 
h^ansactions  from  time  to  time,  and  has  a  high  reputation  abroad. 
Ihe  Albany  Female  Academy,  is  a  beautiful  building,  erected  by  a 
company  incorporated  February,  1821 ;  this  institution  has  a  high 
reputation.     Tho  RTchanfT*.  SStonvi-r  fToii  *u^  iw, j r-i 


ALBANY   COUNTY. 


01 


u  suvuriu 


Tn  IS^T^^'th^^^M"'  fe  ''""^'"^';  '^*'«  ^'^«^'»  ^«»  established 
with  the' Atflitr^h^K'^'  established  in  1792,  and  now  connected 
with  the  Atheneum,  has  about  nine  thousand  volumes. 

ta?  iifiQfilS;  M  ^^"^  York  State  Bank,  incorpoited  1808;  capil 
ianital  iSnnn  '^*"'''  *"^,  ^^""^''^  »^"J^'  incorporated  181 1; 
•aCmJf  r  .•  ^^T '^"'^"'^  ^'»"'^'  '"^o^Porated  1825 ;  capital 
ban^'S^v  nfnl""  ®'"'''  '"^'[P^T^  1829 ;  Capital,  laOO.OOO.  ^  AU 
Dany  City  Bank,  incorporated  1834  ;  capital,  1600,000.  The  AJbanv 
Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  in  1820  ^ 

There  are  30  churches :  among  which  are  6  PresbvteriRn-  q  Tint^h 

Friends-  11?^'  i-  ^^''^d  ^o.;  2  Catholic  ;  3  Episcopalian;  1 
New  YoVk  uslt:'-  /'Pf''!!'''''''  ^'^^"y  •'^  distant  from 
237  Boston  ,7?  y  !7"i  ^„''^'"J^°"  '''y'  ^^^ '  Philadelphia, 
DeLoifeS  'nJi'i  *^"i^°!-^'  92 ;    Montreal,   247;   Quebec,  394 

by  thTcanal,'  363.^'^'  '"  ^'^^  '^  ^^"'^'  ^^^ '  ^^^  ^^erry  Vailed  282 1 

late^&tTn 'R.n^T'^"  ?f  '^''  r'y  ''  '^'  ™^"«'«"  !?""««  of  the 
selLrwv^^^^     IH,^fr'!'''^  ^'*J-'  '''"  P^'^°°"  °^^h«  ™=^»or  of  Rens- 
seiaerwyck.     It  is  almost  entirely  surrounded  bv  a  thick  forest  nf  tr^*.. 
giving  It  an  unusually  retired  asoect      «  Th*.  L^T  of  ,1  -^      o^  trees, 

tune^  thp2^  '  bestowing  his  personal  services  and  his  for- 

tu^e'science  anT«f '"'J'  ""^ '"'"y  ^P^^'^«  «^  improvement  in  l.terl 

4  c^nrrhp'r'^'?^'  ^  ''^"^«'  °^  *^°"*  '^'^^O  inhabitants.  150  houses 
la^e  12  miirh./  ^T'  '*  ™"^«  ®^-  °^Alb«"y-  Coeymans  vi  - 
ihnnt  7nn  K  u- ^°''' ^^^?y' ^°"**^"«  2  churches,  100  dweWs  aid 
1 "  T  T'l*^''^"*'-  ^^«^«  "«  several  extensive  brick  vmK  ih^s 
place  which  has  a  convenient  steamboat  landing.  ^  ^^" 

the  fafls  on"the  hfn^T^il''"^"!  "'.""«"■  ."^  ^^^°««  ^^  "^"ated  near 
me  tails,  on  the  bank  of  the  Mohawk,  within  a  short  distance  of  thl 

junction  of  the  Erie  and  Champlain  canals.    The  wlte  fpowe^  devel! 

oped  here  is  very  great,  and  the  advantages  of  this  positiSnTor  mann 

facturers  are  among  the  best  in  the  stateT  •  "" 

the  cataract,  the  bank  onTe  left  hf.nLvJr^'^T"'''""''!?^'!^  "^  *''^"*  ^0.  Above 
170  feet  On  the  rieht  atove  tl^l  „Tt«h  ?k^  K^if*-*  T'^^?'''""'"  elevation,  and  below, 
tween  80  and  90  feTwgh  ;  L  ow  K  fa  Si'  ilTi  "  '"''  '•*'"'  \'^''''  "' '»»«  «»"''•'  «  ^^ 
bed  for  a  short  distancrexpandeLSo  thi  nllotlT!;  7™  '."  u  ^^'^'  "^^y'  """^  •'™''«» 
over  that  dam  in  one  loveuf  sheet  of  aboat'J  „  -"^  ^°""1^  ^^^^^  "*""»  ^'"^' '"«'  «'*<»« 
feet  makes  a  pleasant  coXst  with  the^lt/*  '^»  m  length,  whose  gentle  fall^f  7 
«  the  latter  is  covered  Switlrwhioh^l  2  "^'  "^l^' .  '"  Aoods.the  whole  bed 

vide.  At  such  ^^L:it  rr;o:iv  L1:^r^.!r!:;z''/?i'-.'°-"*  t^^-^  ^oo  f-t 

_  ., ,.  von.iuTj  uic  stream,  the  roar  ol'  Ui« 


I        • 


ft9 


ALBANY    COUNTY. 


MtwMt,  ths  duUnf  of  Um  troubled  waten  u  Umt  imemi  tho  npicb.  and  the  itrikinf 
Mrimllatioa  of  tho  tomnt  with  the  wiiianum  titan,  ghro  to  tho  mmm  Haimut  wb- 
yntty." 

Weit  Troy,  incorporated  in  1836,  comprising  Gibbongvillo,  Wa- 
tenrliet,  and  Port  Schuyler,  ii  lituated  upon  the  Hudson,  opposite 
Troy.  A  communication  is  constantly  kept  up  with  it  by  ferries,  and 
a  fine  macadamized  road  6  miles  in  length  along  the  river  connects  it 
with  Albany.  A  valuable  water-power  is  derived  from  the  Junction 
canal,  and  used  at  the  arsenal  and  other  works.  The  village  has,  by 
the  census  of  1840,  a  population  of  4,607;  and  enjoying  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  navigation  possessed  by  Troy,  grows  rapidly.  The  Uni- 
ted States  arsenal,  located  here,  comprises  several  extensive  buildings 
of  stone  and  brick,  in  which  there  are  a  large  quantity  of  arms,  with 
workshops  for  their  repair.  Among  the  cannon  are  some  pieces 
taken  at  Saratoga  and  at  Yorktown ;  others,  presented  to  the  United 
States  by  Louis  XVI.,  with  some  cast  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
during  the  revolution.  A  suburb  of  Troy,  called  North  Troy,  has  been 
laid  out  upon  Tibbet's  island,  upon  which  is  the  railroad  depot. 

At  Niskayuna  there  is  a  small  society  of  Shakers,  which  was 
established  here  in  September,  1776,  by  Ann  Lee.  They  own  2,000 
acres  of  good  land,  well  cultivated,  and  divided  into  four  farms,  on 
each  of  which  is  a  family,  the  whole  amounting  to  about  80  persons 
of  both  sexes  and  all  ages.  From  a  very  small  beginning,  the  society 
has  grown  into  several  communities,  the  largest  of  which  is  established 
at  New  Lebanon,  Columbia  county.  * 

Ann  Lee,  or  "  Mother  Ann,"  (as  she  is  usually  called,)  was  born 
at  Manchester,  England.  About  the  year  1768,  she  joined  herself  to 
the  society  of  Shakers,  so  called  from  the  singular  tremblings  and 
shakings  with  which  these  people  were  affected  at  their  religious 
meetings.  According  to  the  account  given  by  her  biographer,  she 
passed  through  great  trial  and  distress  of  mind  for  the  space  of  nine 
years,  during  which  period  she  had  many  visions  and  revelations. 
She  set  herself  up  as  a  religious  teacher,  and  soon  collected  a  num- 
ber of  followers,  who  believed  her  to  be  the  "  elect  lady,"  spoken 
of  in  the  2d  of  John.  After  having  been  imprisoned  in  England  and 
confined  in  a  madhouse,  she  set  sail  for  America,  in  the  spring  of 
1774,  with  a  number  of  her  followers ;  particularly,  Abraham  Stan- 
ley, her  husband,  William  Lee,  her  brother,  James  Whitaker,  and 
John  Hocknell ;  and  arrived  at  New  York  the  following  August.  It 
appears  that  Mother  Ann  remained  in  New  York  nearhr  two  years, 
and  then  went  to  Albany,  and  thence,  in  the  following  September,  to 
Niskayuna.  In  1781,  she  began  a  progress  through  various  parts  of 
the  country,  particularly  of  New  England,  which  lasted,  we  are  told, 
about  two  years  and  four  months.     She  died  in  1784. 


Ill 


AU.BOANY   COUNTY 


ALLEGANY  COUNTY. 

Alimany  COUNTY  was  taken  from  Genesee  in   1806     It  in  44 
n,.le.  long.  28  w,de.  bein^  p.rt  of  the  tract  ceded  to  MM«Jh«,etJi 
I  he  two  western  tiers  of  towns  are  within  the  HolUnd  Lind  Pmi 
pany's  purchase.    The  Genesee  river  flow.  thrJuSi^^  county  bv^ 

tehThilrt ^     ^""^  *"•'  ^r'''^  *°  eight^undred  foetUL 
me  hwher  hills.     By  an  act  passed  in  1828,  this  river  was  declared 

a  pubhc  highway  fk,m  Rochester  to  the  Pennsylvania  li^r  The  soU 

unl/nH  *^°*i?  **"*'"y'  '^''^  ^''"«  «^»«"«^«  »r«<^t«  of  alluv  on,  and!he 
uplands  embrace  a  variety.  The  northern  part  is  best  for  ^rJin  but 
as  a  whole  ,t  ,»  better  for  grazing.  Wheat  and  corn  thrivf  well  in 
the  valley  and  on  the  river  fiats.  *bf  the  former,  twenty-fiTe  Cshei; 
an  acre  are  an  average  crop,  and  of  the  latter  forty.  On  the  UDland 
ZmrafTT:  °«^'«»^  buckwheat,  are  produ^ctive  crops  The 
S     Th«  «"*  u^V  '*«'!?8,h«avy,  lumbering  is  carried  ?n  extend 


'"■'"'mp?*!*' 


Genesee,  Pike, 

Granger,  Portage, 

Grove,  Rushfoid, 

Hume,  Scio, 

Independence,  West  Almond, 

New  Hudson,  Wirt. 
Nunda, 
Ossian, 


Alfred,  Bolivar, 

Allen,  Burns, 

Almond,  Caneadea, 

Amity,  Centerville, 

Andover,  Clarksville, 

Angelica,  Cuba, 

Belfast,  Eagle, 

Birdsall,  Friendship, 

is  thTiouYtl"Ta't''  rt"  V'"""^  ^'"'^'''  '^"^  ^^  W.  from  Albany, 
18  me  county  seat.  The  village  contains  about  130  dwellinirs  4 
churches,  a  bank,  and  2  printing  offices.    About  three  maw  sT  of 

oL'.i'riSoi''  The  f  P^"'P  ^lir'''  Esq.,  the  fim'seSefof'tJe 
county  in  l«04.     i  he  town  and  vi  age  are  named  after  hia  mmK-r 
Mrs  Angelica  Church,  the  eldest  daughter  of  G^n  pS  sJhu^W  ' 

nn  th'  r  "*«'f  i  ^;J"^"  ^""^y-  '^^^"^  18  mile.  NK  from  An^^^^ 
on  the  line  of  the  Genesee  Valley  canal,  contains  upwanl.  of     00 

abot"fl26«nd"''^r'  'i  •''  r^f-  ^^^'  placed  fir  t  sett  eS 
16  mWs  SW  nf  A  T^  '"  "  fertile  country!^  Cuba  village,  about 
liU.^\u  ^  ^"S^J'c.^'  contains  about  100  dwellings.     Portace- 

IS'Hw.11     """a  'u^  f  '^^  ^^"««««'  "«^^  the  »  Falls."  Contains  aSou 
100  dwellings,  4  churches,  and  8  or  10  stores,  a  number  of  ^lls  &c 
Itl  fe  '«.«"»ated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  gorge  of  the  GeneS' 
celebrated  for  its  wild  grandeur,  also  ifor  the  exhibition  of  enterprS 
r?l      'i- "A'  ^°"f^"^'j°»  of  a  tunnel  for  the  canal  throuVSol  d 

mree  distinct  falls  on  the  river,  respect  velv  sixtv    nin^tv  uuA  ««^ 
imndred  and  ten  feet  high,  within'  the  ?pace  of  Z7:Jr7:T%^r 


/ 


S4t 


ALLEGANY  COUNTY. 


ing  in  character,  and  each  having  peculiar  beauties.  Although  the 
cascades  are  highly  admirable,  they  are  almost  disregarded  in  the 
wonder  and  fear  caused  by  the  stupendous  perpendicular  walls  of  the 
river,  rising  to  four  himdred  feet  in  height,  and  extending  along  the 
stream  for  three  miles,  with  almost  as  much  regularity  as  if  constructed 
by  art.  To  this  great  depth  the  river  has  worn  its  bed  in  the  solid 
rock,  in  turns  as  short  and  graceful,  as  if  winding  through  the  softest 
meadow." 


Pass  of  the  Genesee  at  Portage  Falls. 

The  above  is  a  representation  of  the  gorge,  at  that  point  where  the 
river,  commg  from  the  south,  takes  a  sudden  and  abrupt  bend  to  the 
east.  It  IS  situated  below  the  middle  and  upper  falls  ;  both  of  which 
are  m  full  sight  from  near  this  point.  The  spectator  is  supposed  to 
be  standing  in  the  valley,  and  looking  eastwardly  in  tho  direction  of 
the  lower  falls,  which  are  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant.  Imme- 
diately in  front  rise  massy,  perpendicular  rocks,  to  the  height  of  four 
hundred  feet,  their  summits  crowned  with  gigantic  pines  and  hem- 


i 


.     ALLEGANY  OOUNTY,  «• 

do 

locks,  the  aged  sentinelo  of  an  hundred  vears      In  th^  ^ 
the  river  meanders  alonff  its  rockv  bVr?  Si  «    n    ,  °  Perspective, 
behind  projecting  precipices     Sjn  th  "5-'l  '^"^['^  ^''^  *«  ^^^  view 
hills  of  t^he^CashfqJa'tK^^^^  the 

it  a  sc^e^f  TnLscribab  ri^^^^^^^^^^  foreground,  combined  to%nder 
surveyors  cut  dow^a^  imSse  pb^^  tZV"''  ^ ""'  ^  P^^/  ^^ 
precipice.  It  turned  one  soS^rseK'itf^^^^^^^ 
perpendicularly  upon  the  rockv  hoftnm  f f  T""*'  ^^  '^""^^  ^ts  butt 
fell  to  the  earth  with  the  sJocF  hTnfr  ^^^  ^'''^^-  ^""^^  l™b 
less  trunk,  quivered,  and  SlJ^th  a  cmh     '  "  '"°'"'"*'  "  *^"'  ^'™»>- 

Jusi^nVarbltlZ^^^^^^^^^^^  ^M-gth,  t    which  al. 

the  gorge,  about  six  hund?eT?eet  east  of  Z  ?V^^  'T!^^"»  ''^^  «f 
western  termination  near  the  Sfetlls  Thlfe  ^"^  '^^^  ^  '^^t'^' 
of  this  work,  and  the  "  lodge  "s  from  n^  i£  foUowmg  description 
entitle'd  "Midsummer  Rambles"  iuhnZf^'TV^''%'  «*"^«tters, 
mercial  Advertiser  in  theTummPrCl  f  !^  '"  ^^^  ^^^  York  Com' 
of  the  tunnel  is  to  be  twentyr^^^^^^  "/  \T    "  '^>  *^"«k     ' 

Fortunately,  the  character  of  the  rock  faS,^^^^^^^^^  twenty  feet  high, 
progress  of  the  work.     The  conTractir  fnr  T^ ''  favorable  to  the 

JoHKsox,  Esq.,  formerly  mayorofR^chester^r^ 

enterpris  njr  citizens     Mr  tA^k.,        Jvocnesier,  and  one  of  its  most 

last  vL,  #rsf;Sng  f:katrh::S7:e  :''^  vast  excavaTon 
est  the  roof,  and  of  the  entirp  wiJfi,^  -^j  .  ^"^  ^  ^^^  feet  near- 
of  the  tunAel.  5ne  of  the  k  e  al  dXl '  '^T^^  '^'  ^^^^^  ^^^S^^ 
and  light  from  the  riveVbtk tte' ml^^^^^^  Td^f^  "^  «'^ 
viously  completed,"  the  opening  to  wS  s  seen  fn  .t  °  ^^^"^  ^"^- 
on  the  rock  in  front  of  the  "Lodge"  the  engraving 

aniiSraTiXXtu^Jto^^^^^^^^ 

yards,  for  which  the  price  naid  rfo^irSn."*^"^''^  ?''"'^«'*  <^"bic 
ever,  will  not,  by  a  gr'laramom^t  /Zr  fu     '  *^'  ^  '^^''  *'°''- 

for  since  the  excavation  hrb^n  rnZ!t  T'^  T^^  ^^^'^^  t»«nel ; 
of  the  rock-thrown  toSerannTZ^^^^  '"^'^  '^  *^«  characte; 
and  blocks-that  it  no^fwZrXlT}^  ^/  "^'"'.^  ^"  ^°°««  "masses 
tunnel  will  require  arcL?S  tf^  ^"^'""^  ""^^  ^"^  ^^es  of  the 
rary  arches  o?  wood  havf  bTen  fS  T^"  ^°'>  •  ^"^^^d'  ^^'"Po- 
of  almost  every  successive  yfrd  SeTo^rittW^'y^^^^ 
est  undertak  nff  of  the  kind  fhnt  ha.  u  '^  ^^  ^^r  the  great- 

tunc  for  „.  completion.  Mr.  Jotaon,  "whose  "dlt  pX^ce  3 


mmm 


■■nippi 


'^.g-i^" 


56 


BROOMK  COUNTY. 


necessary,  wisely  determined  to  surround  himself  by  his  family.  He 
accordingly  prepared  '  a  lodge'  for  them  in  the  *  wilderness.'  The  site 
selected  is  wild  and  picturesque  in  a  high  degree.  It  stands  upon  a 
small  plain  or  table,  upon  the  highest  verge  of  the  precipitous  bank  of 
the  river  so  often  adverted  to,  a  few  yaras  only  from  the  edge,  whicb 
juts  out,  and  almost  impends  over  the  abyss,  threatening  to  descend 
and  overwhelm  all  that  may  be  below.  The  site  of  the  building  if 
near  the  southwestern  entrance  of  the  tunnel.  Facing  that  direction,  a 
full  view  is  presented  of  the  chasm  of  the  river,  and  the  upper  and  mid- 
dle falls  ;  the  roar  of  which  is  incessant,  and  the  ascendmg  clouds  of 
vapor  of  which  form  objects  of  ever-varying  and  incessant  interest  and 
beauty.  '  Hornby  Lodge'  is  the  name  of  Mr.  Johnson's  castle,  and  the 
grounds  around  it—purposely  kept  as  wild  as  nature  herself  has  made 
them — are  called  *  Tunnel  Parh.^ 


BROOME  COUNTY. 

Broome  county,  named  after  Lieut.  Gov.  Broome,  was  taken  from 
Tioga  in  1806.  Length,  on  the  Pennsylvania  line,  37  miles ;  breadth, 
on  the  Tioga  boundary  28,  on  the  Delaware  13,  and  midway  17  miles. 
Centrally  distant  from  New  York,  northwest,  252,  and  from  Albany, 
southwest,  145  miles.  The  surface  of  the  country  is  broken  and 
mountainous.  Among  its  principal  elevations  are  the  Cookquago,  the 
Oquago,  and  the  Randolph  mountains.  The  valleys  bordering  on  its 
numerous  streams  are  extensive  and  fertile,  producing  large  quantities 
of  wheat.  The  soil  is  generally  better  adapted  to  grazing  than  the 
culture  of  grain.  Fruit  succeeds  well.  The  mhabitants  are  principally 
farmers,  and  its  agriculture  is  respectable.  The  Chenango  canal  en- 
ters the  county  on  the  north,  follows  down  the  valley  of  the  Chenango 
river,  and  enters  the  Susquehannah  river  at  Binghamton.  The  line  of 
the  Erie  railroad  passes  through  the  county.  The  county  is  divided 
into  1 1  towns,  viz. : 

Barker,  Conklin,  Sandford,  Vestal, 

Chenango,  Lisle,  Triangle,  Windsor. 

ColesvilTe,  Nanticoke,         Union, 

The  village  of  Binghamton,  fonnerly  called  Chenango  Point,  the 
shire  village  of  the  county,  was  incorporated  in  1813,  1824,  and  1834. 
It  derived  its  present  name  from  WiUiam  Bingham,  a  munificent  bene- 
factor of  the  village  in  its  infant  state.  This  gentleman  was  possessed 
of  a  large  estate,  and  was  the  proprietor  of  a  large  patent  of  land  lying 
on  both  sides  of  the  Susquehannah,  including  the  site  of  the  village. 
Mr.  Bingham  was  a  native  of  England,  and  came  to  this  country  when 
a  young  man,  and  went  into  the  mercantile  business  in  Philadelphia. 
He  was  a  member  of  congress  for  some  years  while  it  held  its  sessions 
at  Philadelphia.  His  two  daughters  married,  the  one  Alexander,  the 
other  Henry  Baring,  two  noted  bankers  in  London.  Mr.  Bingham 
died  in  London  in  1804. 


MOOMK  OOVNTT. 


from  Kttdrom^^^  t  \  ^"'^^«  -  it  is  entei^d 

which  is  600  feet  lol  TKlk-«''^^  ^'  f^^ftric^e.  (so  called,) 
of  the  Chenango,  and  contains  ahlnfLn  f  ""^^P^'y  <>«  the  east  side 
inhabitants.     ^Lre^T^^^^^t^^^^^^  «*?««•  and  8,000 

1  Presbyterian,  1  ConSeiationa?i  R^^^  Episcopal.  2  Methodist, 
are  two'^femal'e  semSsfrWe  scO  f'"^'  ^""°-  Them 
offices,  the  courthouse  Md  nriln?  ♦.?  (°''  *'?y«'  *^«>  printing- 
Bank  incorporated  1831  wifhTo^nT"!  ^fl^^^^  Broome*^County 
hamton  Baik,  wWch  commTnL V/f  ^^^  ?^  «lpO,000,  and  the  Bing- 
of  0100,000,  and  the  pr?vS  of  l^^^^^^^  ^  1S39,  with  a  capiil 
village  of  BinghamtoJ"s  S  mlc  fr  ^' A?u'*  *°  ^"^  "^^i«°-  The 
from*Norwich!28fromU?Lo  ''h  r^  from  Utica,  40 

The  great  medium  of  SJZSt^n  J  t^'",  *^^  .^r^ylvania  line. 
canaf.     This  canal,  wwTte/mt«?p! V^VT  "  ^^^^  Chenango 

American  troops  under  tCrommlLfn"'«K™**^^  *  briglde  of 
father  of  De  Witt  Clint nn      "^"'"'"^"^  ^f  Gen.  James  Clinton,  the 

The  first  white  man  X  mSe  a  ^T  .  P^""^!*™*'"*^  ^^^^ 
claimed  for  the  viUage  viciS  wa«^'nt  T^  settlement  in  what  is 
originally  from  PlyS,SrA£rchSetts  H^^  ^^"""^ 
Wyoming,  Pennsylvania  Bf'^^^^'  •  ?"*  emigrated  to 
under  armL  there  a  tthl  time  of  th?lf/^""  .1"  *^f  P^^^^'^d  was 
of  action.  He  moved  from  wLS.-  • "'? Set'  ^''^V^*^  "^^^  <>»  the  field 
two  little  childrr'n'S^I^rj'^i^ilf^^^^^ 

.--  — i.«,vn  TTcic  pui  on  ooard  a 


8B 


BROOMB  COUNTY. 


canoe,  with  what  goods  he  brought  up,  and  the  canoe  rowed  by  a  hired 
man  ;  while  he  himself  went  up  on  land  with  two  horses,  keeping  the 
shore,  and  regulating  his  prosress  by  that  of  his  family  on  the  river. 
A  Capt.  Baldwin,  who  settled  on  the  Chemung  river,  moved  up  at  the 
same  time  in  company  with  him. 

Previous  to  the  settlement  of  these  first  emigrants,  a  number  of 
persons  from  Massachusetts  came  on  an  exploring  tour  to  this  region ; 
on  their  return  they  obtained  a  grant  from  the  legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts of  a  large  tract,  which  they  afterward  purchased  of  the  In- 
dians. This  tract  contained  230,000  square  acres,  for  which  the 
company  paid  to  the  state  £1,500.  It  appears  that  when  the  agents 
of  the  company  came  on,  they  found  that  patents  had  already  been 
granted  to  Bingham,  Wilson,  and  Cox,  by  the  state  of  New  York, 
which  interfered  with  their  grants.  This  claim  of  Massachusetts  to 
this  part  of  the  state,  originating  in  some  ancient  colonial  claims,  was 
finalty  satisfied  by  the  grant  of  the  right  of  pre-emption  to  certain 
lands  in  western  New  York. 

The  valley  of  Oquago  was  settled  by  the  whites  about  the  year 
1788.  The  most  of  the  earlier  inhabitants  were  from  Waterbury  and 
Watertown,  in  Connecticut.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Buck  was  the  first  min- 
ister who  preached  in  the  place.  He  was  called  by  the  first  settlers 
Major  Buck,  as  he  had  held  that  office  during  the  revolutionary  war. 
Mr.  Williston,  a  missionary  from  Connecticut,  appears  to  have  been 
the  next.  Soon  after  the  formation  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  Rev. 
Seth  Sage  became  the  settled  pastor,  and  remained  such  till  his  death. 
The  Episcopal  church  was  organized  in  1803,  by  Bishop  Chase,  then 
a  missionary  in  Western  New  York. 

Oquago,  now  Windsor  in  this  county,  about  16  miles  from  Bing- 
hamton,  was  the  residence  of  a  tribe  of  Indians.  It  appears  to  have 
been  a  half-way  resting-place  for  the  "  Six  Nations"  as  they  passed 
south  of  Wyoming,  and  also  for  the  tribes  of  the  Wyoming  valley  as 
they  passed  north.  Jonathan  Edwards,  the  celebrated  divine,  while  a 
minister  at  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  Indians  in  this  place.  He  procured  a  missionary  for  them,  Rev. 
Mr.  Hawley,  and  three  other  persons,  Mr.  Woodbridge,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ashley.  The  three  latter  returned.  Mrs.  Ashley,  it  appears,  was 
employed  during  her  stay  as  an  interpreter.  Mr.  Hawley  remained 
their  missionary  until  the  commencement  of  the  French  war,  when  it 
was  considered  unsafe  for  him  to  remain  longer.  About  one  year  pre- 
vious to  this  time,  Mr.  Edwards  sent  one  of  nis  sons,  a  lad  of  about 
nine  years  of  age,  to  Oquago,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Hawley,  to  learn 
the  Indian  language,  in  order  to  become  an  Indian  missionary.  When 
the  war  commenced,  a  faithful  Indian,  who  had  special  care  of  the 
lad,  took  him  and  conveyed  him  to  his  father,  part  of  the  way  on  his 
back.    This  lad  was  afterwards  President  of  Union  College. 


CAYVOA  COVVTY. 


69 


CAYUGA  COUNTY. 

Cayttoa  county  was  formed  from  Onondaga  in  1799  ;  but  other 
counties  have  since  been  taken  from  it.    Greatest  length  N   and  S 
55,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  23  miles.    From  Albany,  W.,  156 
nnles,  from  New  York,  301.    Upon  the  S.  the  surface  rises  into 
ndges,  along  the  Cayuga  lake,  the  Owasco  lake  and  inlet,  and  the 
fekaneateles  lake.    The  principal  streams  are  the  Sabnon  and  Fall 
creeks,  tributaries  of  the  Cayuga  lake  ;  the  inlet  and  the  outlet  of  the 
Uwasco  lake,  and  the  Seneca  river,  which  is  the  eventual  recipient  of 
all  these  waters.    The  river  flows  through  a  plain  in  which  its  sluffgish 
course  is  scarce  perceptible,  and  the  marshes  which  it  waters,  extend 
to  the  western  border  of  the  county;  in  its  way  it  passes  throuch 
Cross  lake  a  basm  6  miles  long  by  2  wide,  lying  on  the  eastern  boun- 
%.  ^^f  low  swampy  district,  whose  surface  is  370  feet  above  tide. 
1  he  disposition  of  the  waters  shows  an  irregular  surface.    The 
Foplar  ridge,  E.  of  the  Cayuga  lake,  rises  in  some  places  to  600 
teet  above,  but  has  a  gentle   slope   towards   the  lake,  displavine 
finely-cultivated   farms.      The  eastern  declivity  of  this    an/ othe? 
hills  IS  more  abrupt      On  the  N.  of  Auburn,  the  country  is  com- 
paratively  level,  yet  has  a  rolling  appearance  from  the  many  larire 
gravel  hills  scattered  over  the  plain,  assuming  in  many  places  the 
semblance  of  stupendous  mounds  formed  by  art.    This  cravel  has 
much  limestone,  and  produces  excellent  wheat.    Few  portions  of  the 
state  possess  more  fertile  lands,  or  can  boast  of  higfier  cultivation. 
:u-  7   tjie  fruits  of  the  climate,  this  county  is  prohfic.    About  two 
thirds  of  the  land  is  under  improvement.    The  southern  portion  is 
most  thickly  settled.    The  Cayuga  lake,  which  forms  a  large  part  of 
the  western  boundary,  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  36  miles  long, 
and  Irom  1  to  4  broad.    The  county  is  divided  into  22  tovras  • 


Auburn, 

Aurelius, 

Brutus, 

Cato, 

Conquest, 

Flemir.g, 


Genoa,  Niles,  Sterling, 

Ira,  Owasco,  Summer  Hill, 

Ledvard,  Scipio,  Venice, 

Locke,  Sempronius,  Victory. 

Metz,  Sennet, 

Moravia,  Springport, 


The  town  of  Auburn,  taken  from  AureHus  in  1823,  is  3  miles  bv 
2,  comprehending  6  lots  of  the  old  military  tract,  included  within  the 
chartered  limits  of  the  village.  The  compact  part  of  the  village  lies 
2i  miles  from  Lake  Owasco,  on  the  outlet  of  that  name.  It  is  on 
the  line  of  the  Western  Railroad,  156  miles  from  Albany,  314  from 
JNew  York,  7  from  Weedsport  on  the  Erie  canal,  and  339  from  Wash- 
ington. Pop.  9,648.  There  are  7  churches,  a  state  prison,  court- 
house, theological  seminary,  an  academy,  two  banks,  4  printing-offices, 
and  a  number  of  splendid  hotels.  Auburn  is  one  of  the  most  thriving 
and  beautiful  villages  m  the  state.  Its  principal  streets  are  adorned 
with  lofty  buildings  of  brick  and  limestone. 


SK-  ' 


I 


60 


CAYVOA  COUNTY. 


Eastern  part  of  Genesee-street,  Auburn. 

Auburn  was  first  settled  in  1793,  by  Col.  John  L.  Hardenbergh, 
and  was  for  many  years  called  "  Hardenbergh' s  Corners."  It  became 
a  post  village  in  1800,  and  in  1805  the  county  town ;  and  received  its 
present  name  from  Dr.  Crosset.  At  this  time,  the  village  consisted 
of  but  a  few  log  dwellings,  a  store  or  two,  a  grist-mill,  &c.,  all  situ- 
ated near  the  bank  of  the  creek,  not  far  from  the  spot  occupied  by 
the  establishment  of  Messrs.  Leonard  &  Warden. 

In  1807,  the  building  of  the  courthouse  was  commenced,  and  the 
county  courts  removed  to  this  place  from  Aurora.  In  1811,  the  vil- 
lage IS  supposed  to  have  contained  about  300  inhabitants ;  the  court- 
house WOT  the  only  public  building ;  even  this  was  in  an  unfinished 
state.  The  construction  of  an  academy,  a  three-story  brick  building, 
and  a  neat  little  Episcopal  church  were  commenced,  and  a  Presby- 
terian society  formed  during  this  year. 

•  In  1815,  Auburn  was  incorporated  a  village,  at  which  time  it  con- 
tamed  1,000  inhabitants.  From  this  period,  its  improvement  became 
more  rapid  and  uniform ;  walks  were  now  put  down  on  the  principal 
streets,  which  before  were  muddy  and  uneven.  In  1816,  the  state 
nrison  was  founded  in  this  place ;  the  first  Presbyterian  church  in 
North-street  was  commenced,  and  the  Bank  of  Auburn,  capital 
$200,000,  was  chartered.  In  April,  1817,  the  village  contained 
1,506  inhabitants,  148  dwellings,  20  stores,  and  40  mechanic  shops. 


CATVOA  COVNTT. 


61 


Auburn  Theological  Seminary. 
of  atLlatTfli^'^'^ru'^'^'^Ty  ^^«  established  by  the  synod 

a  front  of  200  feT  Th.  i7k  ^""u'^'^  ^"''^  "«  '«  °^  «^°"«'  presenting 
rh"oWical  work!  nn  .  ^'^^^e^hiljits  a  valuable  collection  of  choici 
ineoiogical  works,  and  contains  upwards  of  5,000  vols. 

the  N  ,h7'?^  'f  ^  ^Pr'^"*^^'?'^  of  the  state  prison  as  viewed  from 
the  N. ,  the  cupola  of  the  courthouse  is  seen  i^  the  distance     S 


State  Prison  at  Auburn 


erection  of  this  prison  commenced  in  1816.  "It  occupies  a  nlot  of 
wall  2,000  feet  m  extent,  30  feet  high,  and  4  feet  thick  at  the  bas^ 
sufficient  power  from  the  stream  is  obtained,  by  means  of  a  water- 
prison.      Ihe  prison  buildings  stand  back  about  SO  feet  from  the 


,1P 


62 


CXYVQA  COUNTY. 


road,  and  form  three  sides  of  a  square ;  the  front  part  b^ing  about 
280  feet  long ;  each  of  the  return  wings  is  240  feet  long  and  46  in 
depth."  The  cost  of  erecting  the  prison  was  more  than  $500,000. 
The  usual  number  of  prisoners  of  late  years  has  been  between  6  and 
700.  The  earnings  of  the  prison  during  the  year  ending  Sept.  1839, 
was  $60, 1 61 .46 ;  the  expenditures  during  the  same  period,  $5 1 ,671 .2 1 . 
Religious  instruction  is  regularly  given  by  the  chaplain.  Sunday 
schools  are  instituted  in  the  prisons,  in  which  the  students  in  tlie  the- 
ological seminary  and  other  pious  persons  assist ;  the  younger  portion 
of  the  convicts,  if  illiterate,  are  taught  to  read,  write,  and  cast  ac- 
counts. 

"  The  building  contained  originally  560  cells.  More,  we  believe, 
have  lately  been  added.  They  are  principally  distributed  into  four 
tiers  or  stories,  and  constructed  on  each  side  of  the  block  or  wing. 
The  cells  are  each  7  feet  long,  7  feet  high,  and  3^  wide.  They  are 
sufficiently  lighted,  well  warmed,  and  ventilated.  The  area  between 
the  cells  and  the  parallel  walls,  10  feet  wide,  is  open  from  the  ground 
to  the  roof;  and  of  this  interval,  3  feet  adjoining  the  cells  are  occu- 
pied by  the  galleries.  This  space  in  front  of  ilic  cells  forms  a  com- 
plete sounding-gallery,  so  that  the  watchman  in  the  open  area  on  the 
ground  can  hear  even  a  whisper,  from  a  distant  cell  in  the  upper 
story. 

"  Snch  an  the  prorisiona  and  precautionR  for  the  separate  confinement  of  the  priBoners 
at  night.  In  the  daytime,  they  are  compelled  to  labor  together,  in  an  orderl>  and  peni- 
tential manner.  Soon  after  daylight,  on  a  signal  given  by  the  prison  bell,  the  turnkey  un- 
locks  the  doors  of  the  cells,  when  the  convicts,  each  with  his  night  tub,  water  can,  and 
mush  kid,  march  out ;  and  havuig  disposed  of  these  articles  according  to  the  order  of  the 

gnson,  proceed  to  the  workshops,  where  they  commence  the  labor  of  the  day.  At  a  fixed 
our  another  beU  is  rung,  when  they  form  again  in  line,  and  march  in  silence,  with  closed 
files,  to  the  mess-room,  where  they  breakfast  at  narrow  tables,  so  arranged  that  they  are 
miable  to  ez«hange  even  looks  or  signs.  After  an  interval  of  20  to  30  mmutes,  they  re. 
turn  m  the  aatee  manner  to  the  workshops.  At  12  o'clods,  they  dine  under  the  same  care 
to  prevent  Intercourse.  On  the  approach  of  night,  they  fash  their  faces  and  hands,  and 
at  the  nnginf  of  the  bell,  form  a  line  according  to  the  number  of  their  cells,  march  out  of 
the  shops  to  their  tubs,  and  at  the  word  of  command  take  them  up,  step  forward  and 
empty  into  the  dram  the  water  which  had  been  placed  ia  them  in  the  roominir  to  purify 
them.  They  then  proceed,  with  closed  files,  the  tubs  hanging  on  their  arms,  to  the  wash- 
room,  a^joming  the  kitchen,  where  their  mush  and  molasses  in  a  kid,  and  water  in  a  can 
for  drinking,  have  been  placed  together,  in  rows,  by  the  cooks;  and,  without  breaking 
their  stop,  they  stoop  and  take  up  the  can  and  kid,  march  to  their  respective  nlleries. 
ontor  theur  cells  as  they  arrive  at  them,  and  pull  the  doon  partly  shut  Each  mdlery  is 
-  occupi^y  one  company,  which  is  marched  and  locked  up  by  one  turnkey,  with  two 
keys,  di^nng  from  each  other,  and  from  all  the  rest  The  convicts  then  eat  supper  in 
*^1'L'W*''!^*'  '^•'^  ^^  ?n,«»riy  hour  they  are  required,  by  the  ringmg  of  a  beU,  to  take 
off  their  clothes  and  go  to  bed,  upon  their  canvass  hammocks ;  when  well,  they  are  not 
permitted  to  he  down  before  the  bell  rings,  nor  to  get  up  again,  but  from  necessity,  until  the 
nnging  of  the  mommg  bell.  During  the  night,  turnkeys  are  constantly  moving  round  the 
galleries,  weanng  woollen  socks  on  their  feet,  and  walking  so  noiselessly  that  the  convicto 
are  not  able  to  discover  their  presence  or  absence  ;  and  thus  the  whole  wing,  containinir 
several  hundred  convicts,  is  preserved  in  perfect  stillness  and  order.  It  is  obvious  that  no 
communication  can  take  place  between  the  convicto  at  night,  without  the  connivance  or 
negligence  of  the  turnkeys,  which  is  guarded  against  by  the  viaito  of  the  keeper  and  hk 
depuUes  at  different  hours."  »  *  !«.««•« 


CATUOA  COUNTY. 


08 


Cayuga  Bridge. 

iJJ^lJ'^^^  '''?'  °^  ^*y"«*  ^"^««'  '^h'ch  crosses  the  Cayuga 
and  8how«  nf  fK""''*^™  turnpike  was  taken  on  the  western  banl 
lair«  nf  r  ^'^  VW"^  "^®  °^  »*»«  ^a^^^  «  Po^ion  of  the  httle  vill 

a?ern  o^  ff/Tit,?V"«' ^"'^^^"«  °"  *^«  "«»^*  "  the  well-knol 
«n  flmnn.  •  IV '  /'*'''"«  '"P^"°^  accommodations.  This  bridge. 
fin.-ST"  «  P°^"u*^  estimates,  was  commenced  hi  May,  1799  a* d 
SaTv  of  New^V'ot'''  T"  .^Lr'^^'lt  by  the  ManLtan  Com- 
H;    K  ^I      •      u  '  i*""^  *^°'*  «160,000.    Its  length  is  one  mile 

This  bndge  ,s  the  longest  in  America,  perhaps  if  the  worW,  and 

t^he  shorrofTe    :w^'-'r'"^V"  'T^  "'^'  '"<*'-«  PO-^-ed 
tIT?  k-j        l»^e,  imbosomed  m  almost  impenetrable  woods  » 

I?rd  i?!  "J^^' '""'  ^"^^^  '''  '""^  «•"«-»»»«  ««^°"d  on  pUes-the 
thi^and  last  was  erected  m  1833,  and  cost  about  $15,000.  ^ 

mnf^F'  °o  ^^^  ^T  °^  ^^«  ^"«  ^*"al,  consists  of  upwards  of 
100  dwelhngs,  2  churches;  is  7  miles  N.  from  Auburn,  and  26  W 
from  Syracuse.  Aurora,  18  miles  S.W.  from  Auburn,  is  a  most  beau^ 
SwellTniTs'l'^  '"*  Y"^  ?f  ^^y"«^  ^'^''    I*  cintalnTabourSO 

Erie  can;i  8  mn^  W  V^'  ^a'^P  ^l"^'"^!-  ^'''  ^r°"'  °"  ^he 
i^ne  canal,  «  miles  W.  from  Auburn,  has  about  150  dwellimrs   3 

h^r^'ZiZ^^  °^^«^  '-"-    MontlzlTwi! 

irS  f1  .  1  ^  ^"^"'"^  ''I  ^^^  J""*^^^«"  0^  the  Seneca,  Cayuga, 
and  Ene  canals,  consists  of  about  80  dwellings.    In  1839  the  stfte 

tT  rrrJTw  f  f  ^  '^*  '^^*^'.'"  *^^  «^t«-  The  salt  made  from 
LtL  *  ^y  ^u  ®  ^'^"^  impurities,  and  the  facilities  for  its  man" 

facture  are  ^eat,  the  ground  being  good  and  fire-wood  plenTy  No 
mIII  "'""^  '"  v?^'  manufacture  of  salt  from  these  spring?  The 
Montezuma  marshes  commence  about  a  mile  westward  oJthe^VilWe 

n.i  T.P^'"y*^'"«  *^°y'  «"^  '*  »  behered  that  the  Laffil 
ness  of  this  town  is  now  equal  to  that  of  any  in  the  vicinity 


M 


CATTARAVOUS  COUNTY. 


CATTARAUGUS  COUNTY. 

Cattaravods  counts,  taken  from  Genesee  in  1803  ;  centrally  dis- 
tant from  New  York  via  Catskill,  i'f^  from  Albany,  292;  from 
Buffalo,  S£.,  50  miles.  Length.  •.  i'  ^  v>  .,  „y,  and  greatest  breadth 
N.  and  S.  36  miles.  It  derivf  >  aat'^i  l.cm  the  Indian  word  Gah- 
ta-ra-ke-ras,  signifying  stinking  ^huie  or  beach,  originally  applied  to 
Lake  Erie,  and  thence  ext« nued  over  the  adjacent  country.  This 
county  is  highly  elevated,  being  from  500  to  1200  feet  above  Lake 
Erie.  Its  surface  is  broken  by  some  hills  of  no  mean  pretensions  to 
the  character  of  mountains,  but  in  general  it  is  but  modernt'^ly  uneven, 
and  in  some  parts  quite  level.  In  the  S.,  ale  j,  tliu  Aileg  lay  river, 
there  are  broad  belts  of  white  pine,  behind  which  there  are  marshes  ; 
'**^  excepting  these,  the  lands  are  generally  firm,  and  timbered  with  a 
variety  of  trees  of  lofty  growth.  No  region  of  this  state,  and  proba- 
bly none  of  any  other  in  the  Union,  was  originally  covered  with  an 
equal  amount  of  valuable  timber.  Some  of  the  trees  have  measured 
230  feet  in  height,  and  five  of  them  have  been  known  to  furnish  a 
hundred  "lumberman's"  logs.  Shingles  and  boards  for  the  supply 
of  the  whole  western  world,  have  been  manufactured  in  the  shingle- 
shanties  and  saw-mills  upon  the  Allegany  and  its  tributaries.  The 
lands  in  the  northern  part  are  warmer  and  better  adapted  to  grain  and 
grass  crops  than  in  the  south,  except  at  the  SW.  corner.  This 
county  formed  part  of  the  Holland  Land  Company's  purchase,  who 
originally  owned  it  all  excepting  the  Indian  reservations.  About  one 
eighth  of  the  county  is  under  improvement.  The  county  is  divided 
into  26  towns,  viz. : 


Ashford, 

Burton, 

Cold  Spring, 

Conewango, 

Dayton, 

Ellicottville, 

Farmersville, 


Franklinville, 

Freedom, 

Great  Valley, 

Hinsdale, 

Humphrey, 

Leon, 

Little  Valley, 


Lyndon, 

Machias, 

Mansfield, 

Napcli, 

New  Albion, 

Olean, 

Otto, 


Perrysburgh, 

Persia, 

Portville, 

Randolph, 

Yorkshire 


Ellicottville,  the  county  seat,  is  292  miles  from  Albany,  50  "SV.  from 
Angelica,  and  50  SW.  from  Buffalo,  Besides  the  county  buildings, 
it  contains  2  churches,  about  90  dwellings,  2  printing  and  2  extensive 
land  offices.  Olean,  at  the  junction  of  Olean  creek  with  Allegany 
river,  is  the  oldest  place  in  the  county.  The  villpge  contains  about 
100  dwellings,  2  churches.  A  large  amount  of  lumber  is  annually 
sent  to  market  down  the  Allegany,  and  thence  to  the  Ohio,  from  this 
place.  Lodi,  25  miles  NW.  from  Ellicottville,  on  both  sides  of  Cat- 
taraugus creek,  lies  partly  in  Erie  county.  The  village  consists  of 
about  100  dwellings,  2  churches,  printing  office,  and  a  number  of  mills 
and  factories.    The  water-power  at  this  place  is  abundant. 


"ifc 


CHATAUQVB  COUNTY. 


CHATAUQUE  COUNTY. 

/jSli'i'*'?^  ooTOTY,  the  southwf  stern  county  of  the  state,  was 
formed  Jom  Genesee  in  1808.  The  name  is  a  eruption  of  S.e  1" 
d  an  word  Ots-ha-ta-ka,  which  nignifies  a  foggy  pJe.  and  was  aS- 
Dlied  to  the  country  around  the  held  of  the  Ch^SuSu^hlTeyTn  now 
ramous  for  its  fogs     Its  greatest  length  N.  and  S.  ?s  40rwid  Zat^^ 

380  and  from  New  York,  by  way  o/catlskill,  NW.,  428  miles 
The  soil  generally  is  strong  clay  loam,  very  productive  of  lar^e  "ioDs 
of  wheat,  barley,  and  corn  ;  the  last  is  however  destroyed  Zet'mes 
tVn  1  I  ^^V]T'  t°,^hich  the  country  is  subject.  The  plaTn  upon 
dfmat'  ''  ^^  ^  ^  ''''''  '"^  P'"^"""''  '^'  finest  fruits  adapfed  to  ffi 
..iZ^i*'*'""*^^  1*^°"*^^  bordering  on  Lake  Erie,  is  situated  on  the 
waters  ot  the  northern  lakes  from  those  of  the  Allegany  river.    This 

Inf  l"  f  f  ?"y  K^"^  ^  *°  *^  "^"««  ^r°">  the  shore  of  Lake  Erif 
ancT  elevated  from  790  to  1400  feet  above  it.  The  general  surface 
of  the  county  though  hilly,  is  not  mountainous,  and  thf  SestS 
are  arab  e  to  their  summits,  and  frequently  adom'ed  with  valuable  fe™ 
The  soil  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  from  1  to  4  miles  wide!™a 
border  of  rich  alluvion,  and  along  the  margin  of  the  rivers.    The  u^ 

S''  ^^'T^'^^y  ^  """'^^  ^""'"-  ^'^^  '«^«i»«d  in  considerabL  quiS^ 
titles,  and  the  county  is  generally  well  adapted  to  grazing.  FruU  sudi 
as  aoples,  pears,  and  plums,  succeeds  well.  *  ' 

Chatauque  lake  is  a  fine  sheet  of  water  16  miles  lonff,  and  from  1 
to  4  wide.  Its  elevation  is  1,306  feet  above  ih.  ocean,  fndit  hZl 
gated  by  steamboats.  This  county  formed  part  of  the  Holland  Land 
Company's  purchase  ;  and  wild  lands  ere  offered  by  them  at  fl'sO 
tL  iFd  1 T  }  ?K '  ^  c°'«Pany  from  Baiavia  bought  Uieir  interest  in 
the  wi  d  land  of  the  county,  kore  than  three  quarters  of  the  coun W 
are  yet  unimproved.     The  county  is  divided  into  24  towns.  vS  •        ^ 


Arkwright, 

Busti, 

Carroll, 

Charlotte, 

Chatauque, 

Cherry-creek, 


Clymer,  Hanover, 

Ellery,  Harmony, 

Ellicott,  Mina, 

Ellington,  Poland, 

French  Creek,  Pomfret, 

Gerry,  Portland, 


Ripley, 

Sheridan, 

Sherman, 

Stockton, 

Villenova, 

Westfield. 


MayviUe,  the  county  seat,  incorporated  in  1830,  is  66  miles  SW 
from  Suffalo,  and  J3  W.  of  Albanv;  contains  about  80  dwellings  4 
churches ;  beautifuUv  situated  at  t^e  head  of  Chatauque  lakr   ffire 

Tt  Twfh  P'''"        .''"  ^'^  P^*"^  '^^'i  Jamestown,  22  miles  cUs! 
tant,  during  th*-  season  of  navigaUon. 

^  -      .—    ......v-TT  tiic   —AC,  s^a  comaiiis  duuui  «00  dweilings. 


06 


CHATAUqUB    COUNTY, 


Southern  view  of  Jamestown. 

The  above  view  was  taken  near  the  sawmill  on  the  Chatauque  out- 
let, seen  in  front,  and  shows  the  principal  portion  of  the  place.  The 
spire  in  the  centre  of  the  view,  is  that  of  tlie  Congregational  church. 
The  steeple  on  the  left  is  the  Presbyterian,  and  that  on  the  right  the 
Academy.  There  are  also  a  Methodist  and  a  Baptist  church,  and 
2  weekly  newspaper  oflficcs  in  the  place.  A  steamboat  plies  on  the 
lake  between  nere  and  Mayville.  James  Pendergrast,  Esq.,  from 
Pittstown,  Rensselaer  co.,  established  himself  here  in  1811  or '12, 
and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  village.  Tlic  first  tavern  was  built 
shortly  after  by  Jacob  Fcnton.  But  few  dwellings  were  erected  till 
1816,  when  the  place  rapidly  increased  by  emigrants,  principally  from 
the  eastern  part  of  the  slate. 

Fredonia  village  is  situated  upwards  of  2  miles  E.  from  Lake  Erie, 
45  SW.  from  Buffalo.  It  is  the  oldest  village  in  the  county,  incorpo- 
rated in  1829.  It  contains  about  1000  inhabitants,  150  dweUings,  5 
churches,  and  an  incorporated  academy.  In  the  immediate  vicinity 
are  situated  the  Chatauque  Gas  Spritigs,  near  the  bed  of  Canadawa 
creek  :  the  gas,  which  escapes  from  the  same  in  great  quantities,  is 
suitable  .or  lighting  streets  and  for  domestic  purposes. 

Dunkirk,  lormcrly  owned  by  the  Dunkirk  Land  Company,  is 
pleasantly  situated  on  Lake  Erie,  and  is  destined  to  be  a  place  of 
great  importance  from  its  being  the  terminating  point  of  the  line  of 
the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad.  The  distance  from  Buffalo  is  44 
miles,  and  to  Piermont,  on  the  Hudson,  (about  22  miles  N.  of  New 
York,)  by  the  line  of  the  railroad,  446  miles.  This  whole  distance 
from  Dunkirk  to  New  York,  on  the  completion  of  the  road,  will  be 
accomplished  in  from  20  to  24  hours.  The  U.  S.  government,  view- 
ing the  growing  importance  of  the  place,  has  expended  large  sums  in 
the  improvement  of  its  harbor.  This  port  is  occasionally  open  many 
days,  and  even  weeks,  earlier  in  the  spritig  and  later  in  the  fall,  than 
that  of  Buffalo.  The  following  view  was  taken  about  a  mile  from  the 
village,  seen  on  the  left.  The  large  cupola  is  that  of  the  hotel,  a 
capacious  brick  structure  ;  the  steeple  next  to  it  is  that  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  and  the  smaller  one  the  Academy.    The  opposite  shore 


Northeastern  view  of  Dunkirk  Harbor. 

i! ittto^'nl'T  ^«f "!'^"»y  <=«nring  around  in  the  distance,  and 

•   Van  Burin  T,.K?    """''' r  'T  ^"^  *  ^"«  «^«^th  "f  fo^««t  tree*. 

rnZln^^^^  ''''If «°'/  '"''^''  N W-  fr°™  Mayville,  and  60  from  Buffalo 

knd  o7l  A.  Fr  '  '  ?  ^?""«  ""^  i  ^^y^tnilh.    Barcelona,  o?  Port- 

dwcil,n«s      Iti  a'  tTr."^'^'  ^'°'"  ^f*^^«'^'  contains' about  40 
Tt  ui^?"  .  /u  Pf"  of  entry,  and  is  a  place  of  considerable  trade 

eek  atta trd'^'*;  "  'i^^^^'  '^  T  •^^"•"?  ^^"^  the' bod  of  a 
creek  about  a  mile  distant,  and  is  carried  to  the  ficht-house  bv  nines 

The  French,  at  an  early  period,  had  a  military  post^t  tWs  place.'^  ^ 


CHEMUNG  COUNTY. 

Chemcno  COUNTY  was  formed  from  the  western  part  of  Tioffa  in 
20  mile,  Th'*  ^"T^'  ?*  ?"^  ^^  ^8  ;  greatest  breaSth,  E.  and^" 
eralhr  of'«  Jh  '"J^"'"  °^,/^?  "°""'y  ''  '""y-  ^he  soil  consirts  genl 
'J^dV''^4L       i^T^^^  P^'ches  of  mwl 

^ain  hntTli  t""^'  "'  commonly  better  adapted  to  grass  than 
gram,  but  the  valleys  give  fine  crops  of  wheat  and  com  •  oats 
Beans,  barley,  peas,  and  hops  thrive  almost  everywhere  The  dne 
plains,  prmcipally  in  the  towns  of  Elmira  and  W  Flats  formeriv 
considered  afmost  worthless,  are  now  deemed  high!y  Valuib  ^To^ 
ducing,  by  treatment  with  plaster,  and  due  succession  of  croDs  'abC 
rnn"LT™'p?  ""^^''^ H^"  ^°"^'  ^"^  '^^°'''-  ThTchemuSg  canal" 
ine  JNew  York  and  Ene  railroad  passes  through  the  towns  of  Che- 


Big  Flats, 
'vatiicnncs, 


Catlin,  Chemung,  Elmira. 

^^ay-uMt,        Uix,  Erin,  ' 


Southnortj 
Veteran. 


\ 


68 


CHEMVNO  COUNTY. 


Elmira  village  is  situated  at  the  confluence  of  Newtown  creek  with 
the  Chemung  river.  It  was  formerly  the  half-shire  village  of  Tioga 
county,  and  is  now  the  seat  of  justice  for  Chemune  county.  It  was 
incorporated  in  1815  by  the  name  of  Newtown,  which  was  changed 
to  Elmira  in  1828  :  its  ancient  Indian  name  was  Conewawah,  a  word 
signifying  "  d  head  on  a  pole.^ 


Distant  view  of  ike  Village  of  Elmira. 

The  above  view  was  taken  near  the  Sullivan  mill,*  about  a  mile 
eastward  of  the  village,  near  the  junction  of  Newtown  creek  with  the 
Chemung  river.  The  first  spire  on  the  right  is  that  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian church,  the  next  to  the  left  the  courthouse  ;  the  others  are  those 
of  the  Episcopal  and  Baptist  churches.  The  bridge  seen  extending 
across  the  Chemung  is  600  feet  in  length. 

Elmira  is  admirably  situated  for  the  purposes  of  trade,  in  the  midst 
of  a  fertile  valley,  eight  to  ten  miles  in  extent  from  N.  to  S.,  and  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  miles  E.  and  W.  The  place  is  connected  with  Penn- 
sylvania and  Maryland,  in  trade,  by  the  Chemung  and  Susquehannah 
nvert,  and  with  almost  every  portion  of  the  state  by  means  of  the 
Chemung  canal,  which  leads  through  Seneca  lake,  and  thence  by  the 
Seheca  to  the  Erie  canal.  The  village  contains  about  300  dwellings, 
and  upwards  of  2000  inhabitants,  4  churches,  2  newspaper  establish- 
ments, 1  bank,  and  a  number  of  select  schools.  The  village  is  on  the 
line  of  the  Erie  railroad. 

The  section  of  country  in  W-hich  Elmira  is  situated  became  known 
to  the  whites  during  the  revolutionary  war.  When  Gen.  Sullivan 
was  penetrating  into  the  Indian  country,  in  1779,  the  Indians  under 
Brant,  and  the  tories  under  Colonels  Butler  and  Johnson,  made  a 

*  So  called  from  its  being  only  a  few  rods  above  Sullivan's  landing-place,  where  he  en- 
camped, both  on  the  advance  of,  and  retu/n  from  nis  expedition  against  the  Indians.  The 
site  of  the  fortress  which  Sullivan  built,  can  be  distinctly  seen  ftom  the  south  windows  of 
thiv  mtK. 


CHEMUNG   COUNTY. 


69 


stand  to  oppose  his  progress  at  the  SE.  point  of  this  town.  They 
intrenched  themselves  by  a  breastwork  of  about  a  half  a  mile  in 
length,  so  covered  by  a  bend  in  the  river  as  to  e::po8e  only  their  front 
and  one  of  their  flanks  to  attack.  On  Sullivan's  approach,  Aug.  29th, 
an  action  commenced  which  is  sometimes  called  the  "  Battle  of  the 
Chemung ;"  the  force  of  the  Indians  and  tories  has  been  estimated 
from  800  to  1500,  while  that  of  the  Americans  was  between  4000 
and  6000.  The  following  account  of  the  battle  is  extracted  from  the 
2d  vol.  of  "  Stone's  Life  of  Brant:* 

"  The  enemy's  position  was  discovered  by  Major  Parr,  commandinjf  the  adranoe  gaaid, 
at  about  H  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  29th  of  AuguBt.  General  Hand  immediately 
fornied  the  light  infantry  in  a  wood,  at  the  distance  of  about  400  yards  from  the  breast- 
work, and  waited  until  the  main  body  of  the  army  arrived  on  the  ground.  A  skirmishing 
was,  however,  kept  up  by  both  side»— the  Indians  sallying  out  of  their  works  by  small  par- 
ties, firing,  and  suddenly  retreating— making  the  woods  at  the  same  time  to  resound  with 
their  war-whoops,  piercing  the  air  from  point  to  point  as  though  the  tangled  forest  wer« 
alive  with  their  grim-visaged  warriors.  Correctly  judging  that  the  hill  upon  his  right  was 
occupied  by  the  savagei,  Gen.  Sullivan  ordered  Poor's  brigade  to  wheel  off,  and  endeavor 
to  gam  their  left  flank,  »nd,  if  possible,  to  surround  them,  while  the  urtUlery  and  main  body 

0  the  Americans  attacked  them  in  front  The  order  was  promptly  executed  ;  but  as  Pww 
climbed  the  ascent,  the  battle  became  animated,  and  the  possession  of  the  hill  was  bravely 
contested.  In  front,  the  enemy  stood  a  hot  cannonade  for  more  than  two  houn.  Both 
tories  and  Indians  were  entitled  to  the  credit  of  fighting  manfully.  Every  rock,  and  tree, 
and  bush,  shielded  its  man,  from  behind  which  the  winged  messengers  of  death  were 
thickly  sent,  but  with  so  little  effect  as  to  excite  astonishment.  The  Insane  yielded  ground 
only  inch  by  inch  ;  and  in  their  retreat,  darted  from  tree  to  tree  with  the  agility  of  the  pan- 
ther, often  contesting  each  new  position  to  the  point  of  the  bayonet— a  thing  very  unusual 
even  with  militiamen,  and  still  more  rare  among  the  undisciplined  warriors  of  the  woods. 

1  hayendanegea  was  the  animating  spirit  of  the  savages.  Always  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight, 
he  used  every  efl!brt  to  stimulate  his  warriors,  in  the  hope  of  leading  them  to  victory,  ifntil 
the  artillery  began  to  play,  the  whoops  and  yells  of  the  savages,  mingled  with  the  rattling  of 
musketry,  had  wellnigh  obtained  the  mastery  of  sound.  But  their  whoopa  were  measur- 
ably  drowned  by  the  thunder  of  the  cannon.  This  cannonade '  was  elegant,'  to  adopt  the 
phraseology  of  Sullivan  himself,  in  writing  to  a  friend,  and  gave  the  Indians  a  great  panic, 
htill,  the  battle  was  contested  in  front  for  a  length  of  time  with  undiminished  spirit.  But 
the  seventy  of  fighting  was  on  the  flank  just  described.  As  Poor  gallantly  approached  the 
point  which  completely  uncovered  the  enemy's  rear.  Brant,  who  had  been  the  first  to  pene- 
trate  the  design  of  the  American  commander,  attempted  once  more  to  rally  hit  forces,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  a  battalion  of  the  raj.gers,  make  a  stand.  But  it  was  in  vain,  al- 
though he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  for  that  purpose— flying  from  point  to  point,  seem- 
ing to  be  everywhere  present,  and  using  every  means  in  his  power  to  reanimate  the  flag- 
ging spirits,  and  reinvigorate  the  arms  of  his  followers.  Having  ascended  the  steep,  and 
gained  his  object  without  faltering,  the  enemy's  flank  was  turned  bv  Poor,  and  the  fortunes 
of  the  day  decided.  Perceiving  such  to  be  the  fact,  and  that  there  was  Janger  of  being 
surrounded,  the  retreat-halloo  was  raised,  and  the  enemy,  savages  and  white  men,  precipi- 
tately abandoned  their  works,  crossed  the  river,  and  fled  with  the  utmost  precipitation— 
the  Indians  leaving  their  packs  and  a  number  of  their  tomahawks  and  scalping-knivea 
behind  them.  The  battle  was  long,  and  on  the  side  of  the  enemy  bloody.  Eleven  of  their 
dead  were  found  upon  the  field— an  unusual  ci.-tiumBtance  with  the  Indians,  who  invariably 
exert  themselves  to  the  utmost  to  prevent  the  bodies  of  their  slain  from  falling  into  the 
hands  of  their  foes.  But  being  pushed  at  the  point  of  llie  bayonet,  they  had  not  time  to 
bear  them  away.  They  were  pursued  two  miles,  their  trail  affording  indubitable  proof  that 
a  portion  of  their  dead  and  wounded  had  been  carried  off  Two  canoes  wore  found  cov- 
ered with  blood,  and  the  bodies  of  14  Indian  warriors  were  discovered  i)artially  buried 
among  the  leaves.  Eight  scalps  were  taken  by  the  Americans  during  the  chase.  Consid- 
ering the  duration  of  the  battle.,  and  the  obstinacy  with  which  it  was  maintained,  the  loss 
of  the  Americans  was  small  almost  to  a  miracle.  Only  5  or  6  men  were  killed,  and  be- 
tween 40  and  50  wounded.    Among  the  American  officers  wounded,  were  Mai.  Titcomb. 

--r-  — J—! ••  -,-.-nf — -.nrr  sntttrj  iirjiiaiiy.    ^ii  ujc  nouses  OS  ine  contiguous 

Indian  town  were  burnt,  and  the  cornfields  destroyed." 


i 
i  t 


70 


CHBNANOO   COUNTY. 


Havanna  is  a  thriving  village  of  about  700  inhabitants,  18  miles  N. 
from  Elmira,  on  the  line  of  the  Chemung  canal,  3  miles  S.  of  Seneca 
lake.     It  contaiiis  2  churches,  10  stores,  and  a  number  of  mills  of  va- 
rious kinds.    The  village  was  founded  in  1836,  and  incorporated  in 
1839,  and  is  in  the  limits  of  the  town  of  Catherines,  so  named  from 
its  having  been  the  residence  of  Catherine  Montour,  the  wife  of  an 
Indian  sachem,  or  king.     She  has  sometimes  been  called  Queen  Esther. 
This  remarkable  woman,  it  is  said,  was  a  native  of  Canada,  a  half- 
breed,  her  father  being  one  of  the  French  governors,  probably  Count 
Frontenac.     During  the  wars  between  the  Six  Nations  and  the  French 
and  Hurons,  Catherine  was  taken  prisoner,  when  she  was  about  ten 
years  old,  and  carried  into  the  Seneca  country,  and  adopted  as  one  of 
their  children.     At  a  suitable  age  she  was  married  to  a  distinguished 
chief  of  her  tribe,  by  whom  she  had  several  children.     Her  husband 
was  killed  in  battle  about  1730.     She  is  represented  as  having  been  a 
handsome  woman  when  young,  genteel,  and  of  good  address.     She 
frequently  accompanied  the  cliiefs  of  the  Six  Nations  to  Philadelphia, 
and  other  places  where  treaties  were  holden.     On  account  of  her 
character  and  manners,  she  was  much  caressed  by  the  American  la- 
dies of  the  fiist  respectability,  and  invited  and  entertained  at  their 
houses.    Her  residence  was  at  the  head  of  Seneca  lake.     She  has 
been  accused  of  perpetrating  some  savage  atrocities  at  the  massacre 
at  Wyoming,  but  the  account  does  not  appear  to  be  well  authenti- 
cated.    At  the  period  of  the  revolutionary  war,  Catherine's  town  con- 
sisted of  <hiny  hovvs.      cornfields,  orchards,  &c. ;  these  were  all  de- 
stroyed by  Gen.  vSuliivan,  Sept.  3,  1779,  in  his  expedition  into  the  In- 
dian country. 


CHENANGO  COUNTY. 

Chenango  county  was  formed  from  Herkimer  and  Tioga  counties 
in  1798  ;  the  northern  part  of  which  was  erected  into  Madison  county 
m  1806.  J.ts  form  is  irregular ;  the  greatest  length  N.  and  S.,  35 
miles  ;  greatest  width,  28.  The  general  surface  of  the  county  is 
broken  and  hilly,  though  not  mountainous.  Its  valleys  are  extensive, 
rich,  and  fertile,  producing  large  crops  of  grain  ;  while  the  uplands 
are  well  adapted  to  grazing.  Its  agriculture  is  respectable,  and  its 
inhabitants  are  generally  farmers.  Live-stock  is  one  of  their  prin- 
cipal exports.  The  Susquehannah  river  crosses  the  SE.  corner  of  the 
county.  The  Chenango  river,  one  of  its  principal  branches,  flows 
southerly  through  the  centre  of  the  county.  The  Unadilla  riv^r 
forms  most  of  the  eastern  bounds  of  the  county.  The  numerous 
streams  in  this  county  furnish  abundance  of  fine  mill  sites.  The 
Chenango  canal  passes  through  the  county  in  the  valley  of  the  Che- 
nango river.  This  county  was  principally  settled  by  emigraris  from 
the  eastern  states.    It  originally  included  the  twenty  townshins  of 


) 


CHENANGO    COUNTY. 


71 


the  "Govenior's  purchase,"  a  part  of  which  are  now  in  Madison 
county.     1  he  county  is  divided  into  19  towns,  viz. : 


Bainbridge, 

Columbus, 

Coventry, 

German, 

Greene, 


Guilford, 

Liiicklean, 

Macdoiiough, 

New-Berlin, 

Norwich, 


OtseHc, 

Oxford, 

Pharsalia, 

Pitcher, 

Plymouth, 


Preston, 
Sherbourne, 
Smithville, 
Smyrna. 


Norwich  village  the  county  seat,  is  delightfully  situated  upon  the 
Chenango  river,  1 10  miles  from  Albany.  Its  site  is  much  adnSired  by 
travellers.     It  is  surrounded  by  lands  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation 


Courthouse  and  other  buildings  in  Nonvich. 


and  well  supplied  wiih  pure  and  wholesome  water.  There  is  a  min- 
eral spring  near  the  village,  resorted  to  for  cutaneous  diseases.  The 
above  view  shows  the  courthouse  in  the  centre  of  the  engraving  •  th^ 
builduig  with  a  spire  on  the  left,  is  the  Presbyterian  church  The 
courthouse  has  been  but  recently  erected.  It  is  built  of  freestone,  and 
IS  one  of  the  most  splendid  structures  of  the  kind  in  the  state.  Be- 
sides the  above,  there  are  in  the  /ilbge  1  Episcopal,  1  Baptist,  and! 
Methodist  church,  2  weekly  -newspaper  offices,  the  Chenango  Bank 
several  manufactories;  and  a     at  200  dwelhngs. 

The  village  of  Oxford,  on  the  Chenango  canal,  8  miles  S.  from 
Norwich,  contains  about  170  dwellings,  4  churches,  a  flourishing 
Academy,  2  printing  offices,  20  stores,  and  various  manufacturing  es- 
abhshments  New  Berlin  village,  13  miles  NE.  from  Norwich,  on 
the  west  bank  of  UnadiUa  river,  contains  upwards  of  100  dwellings 
4  churches,  and  several  large  manufacturing  estabhshmenta.  Sher- 
burne village,  on  the  line  of  the  Chenangobcanal,  12  miles  N.  of  Nor- 
wich, contains  about  100  dwellings,  4  churches,  and  an  Academy. 
Ureene,  i,0  raues  SW.  of  Norwich,  contains  about  90  dwellings  and  4 


T2  CUMTOir   COUNTY. 


CLINTON  COUNTY. 

Clinton  county  lies  on  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Champlain,  at 
the  northeastern  extremity  of  the  state,  about  170  miles  N.  from  Al- 
bany. Soon  after  the  conquest  of  Canada,  in  1759,  the  shores  of  Lake 
Champlain  were  visited  by  speculators  in  quest  of  pine  and  oak  tim- 
ber, but  no  permanent  settlements  were  made  until  about  the  close  of 
the  revolution.  Its  greatest  length  N.  and  S.  is  40^  miles,  greatest 
breadth  37  miles.  The  northern  boundary  being  latitude  45°,  indi- 
cates the  rigors  of  a  cold  northern  country. 

The  natural  advantages  enjoyed  by  thia  county  have  been  undervalued.  Along  the 
whole  eaatem  bordd^.  adjoining  the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain,  a  wide  tract  of  land  ex- 
tends, moderately  uneven  or  quite  level,  with  a  pretty  strong  inclination  or  deprewion 
eastward,  averaging  8  miles  in  width,  of  no  inferior  quality.  It  amply  repays  the  labor  of 
the  husbandman.  The  western  part  is  mountainous,  but  these  mountains  are  covered 
with  timber,  and  the  county  with  rapid  streams  and  mill  sites,  and  abounds  with  the  rich- 
est and  best  of  iron  ores,  already  extensively  manufactured.  The  soil  is  of  various  quali- 
ties. On  the  broad  belt  of  comparatively  level  land  above  noticed,  it  is  principally  a 
clayey  with  some  tracts  of  a  sandy  loam.  The  streams  supply  a  profusion  of  good 
natural  sites  for  all  >?orts  of  hydraulic  work.  With  these  advantages,  this  county  looks 
forward  with  confidence  to  increased  sources  of  business  and  profit. 

About  one  fifth  part  is  settled.  The  county  is  divided  into  10  towns  : 

Au  Sable,  Black  Brook,     Chaxy,  Mooers,    Plattsburg, 

Beekmantown,     Champlain,        Ellenburgh,      Peru,        Saranac. 


View  of  Plattsburg. 


Plattsburg,  an  incorporated  village  and  county  seat,  is  distant  from 
New  York  319,  irom  Albany  164,  from  Whitehall  112,  and  from  Og- 
densburg,  E.  120  miles.  The  accompanying  view, was  teken  on  the 
eastern  bank  oC  the  Saranac,  about  30  rods  above  the  biidge.  The 
first  steeple  on  the  left  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  the  second 
♦he  Methodist,  the  third  the  courthouse,  the  fourth  the  Episcopal,  and 
,'..e  fifth  the  Catholic.  Besides  tlie  abovementioned  public  buildings, 
there  is  an  academy,  the  Chnton  county  bank,  and  about  300  buildings. 


CLINTON   COUNTY. 


78 


Plattaburg  is  rendered  memorable  as  the  place  of  the  victory  of 
Com.  McDonough  and  Gen.  Macomb,  over  the  British  naval  and 
land  forces,  in  Sept.,  1814.  The  following  account  of  the  military 
movements  on  the  land  are  copied  from  the  statements  given  by  Maj. 
A.  C.  Flagg  and  Gen.  St.  J.  B.  L.  Skinner,  who  both  were  actors  in 
the  scenes  described. 

;•  •  On  the  31rt  Aug.,  (says  Maj.  Flaggr.)  the  advance  of  the  British  amy  under  Gen. 
Brisbane  entered  Charaplain,  am'  encamped  on  the  north  side  of  the  neat  Chazy  river, 
and  on  the  same  day  Maj.  Gen.  Mooem  ordered  out  the  militia  of  the  counties  of  Clinton 
and  Essex,  en  mtuse.  '  The  regiment  from  Clinton  co.,  under  Lieut  Col.  Miller,  imme. 
diately  assepibled,  and  on  the  2d  Sept.  took  a  position  on  the  west  road  near  the  villam 
of  Chazy  ;  and  ou  the  3d,  Gen.  Wright,  with  such  of  his  brigade  as  had  arrived,  oci^- 
pied  a  position  on  the  same  road,  about  8  miles  in  advance  of  this  place.  On  the  4th,  the 
enemy  having  brought  up  his  main  body  to  Champlain,  took  up  his  line  of  march  for 
riattsburg.  The  rifle  corps,  under  Lieut.  Col.  Appling  on  the  lake  road,  fell  back  as  far 
as  Dead  creek,  blockmg  up  the  road  in  such  a  manner  as  to  impede  the  advance  of  the 
enemy  as  much  as  possible.  The  enemy  advanced  on  the  5th,  within  a  few  miles  of  Col. 
Appling  8  position,  and  finding  it  too  strong  to  attack,  halted,  and  caused  a  road  to  be 
made  west  mto  the  Beekmantown  road,  in  which  the  light  brigade  under  Gen.  Poweni 
advanced  ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  about  7  o'clock,  attacked  the  militia,  which 
had  at  this  time  increased  to  neariy  700,  under  Gen.  Mooeni ;  and  a  small  detachment  of 
regulars  under  Maj.  Wool,  about  7  miles  from  this  place.  After  the  fint  fire,  a  consider, 
able  part  of  the  militia  broke  and  fled  in  every  direction.  Many,  however,  manfully 
stood  their  ground,  and  with  the  small  corps  of  Maj.  Wool,  bravely  contested  the  eroand 
against  five  times  their  number,  falling  back  gradually,  and  occupying  the  feno^  on  each 
side  of  tne  road,  till  they  arrived  within  a  mile  of  the  town,  when  they  were  reinforced 
by  two  pieces  of  artillery  under  Capt.  Leonard  ;  and  our  troops  occupying  a  stronir  position 
behind  a  stone  wall,  for  some  time  stopped  the  progress  of  tho  enemy.' 

.,  "d^  •'l"  '*'"''  ""*  "^  ""*  ''"**^  specimens  of  discipline  ever  exhibited,  was  shown  by 
the  British  troops  on  the  occasion  of  the  opening  Capt.  Leonard's  battery  upon  them    The 
company  tc  which  I  was  attached,  formed  a  part  of  the  left  flank  of  our  little  army,  and 
was  on  the  rise  of  ground  west  of  the  road  leading  from  Mr.  Halsey's  comer  to  Isaac  C. 
riatt  s,  and  about  midway  between  the  artillery  and  the  head  of  the  British  column ;  and 
the  whole  scene  was  open  to  our  view.    Here,  (at  Halsey's  comer,)  was  i  battery  of  two 
lield-pieces,  so  perfectly  masked  by  a  party  of  the  infantry,  that  the  enemy  probably  was 
not  aware  of  it,  until  it  opened  upon  him.     There  a  dense  column  of  men,  with  a  front 
equal  to  the  width  of  the  road,  and  extending  neariy  half  a  mile  in  length,  pressed  on  with 
a  buoyancy  and  determination  of  spirit,  betokening  an  expectation  that  they  would  be  per- 
mitted to  walk  into  our  works  without  much  opposition.    How  sad  the  disappointment  to 
the  victorious  veterans  of  so  many  bloody  fields  of  Europe !    So  perfect  was  the  motion  of 
the  troops  in  marching,  that  they  seemed  a  great  mass  of  living  matter  moved  by  some 
invisible  machinery.     Yet  I  can  now  almost  fancy  we  could  hear  them  cracking  their 
jokes,  and  each  claiming  for  himself  the  honor  of  beijg  the  first  to  make  a  lodgment  in 
the  Yankee  forU ;  when  suddenly,  with  the  noise  of  thunder,  the  sound  of  a  cannon 
came  booming  through  the  air.    It  sent  forth  a  round  shot  which  took  effect  near  the  centre 
of  the  front  plafoon,  about  breast  nigh,  and  ploughed  its  way  through,  sweeping  all  before 
it,  the  whole  length  of  the  uolumn,  opening  a  space  apparently  several  feet  wide,  which, 
however,  was  immediately  closed,  as  if  by  magic  ;  and  on  the  column  pressed  as  if  nothing 
had  happened.    A  second  shot  was  fired  with  the  like  effect,  and  similar  consoqueacee  ; 
but  when  the  third  discharge  came,  with  a  shower  of  grape-shot,  there  was  a  momentary 
confusion.     Immediately,  however,  the  charge  was  sounded  by  some  dozen  British  bugles ; 
which  through  the  clear  and  bland  atmosphere  of  b.  bright  Sej '      '  ir  morning,  was  the 
most  thrilling  and  spirit  stirring  sound  that  could  greet  a  soldier's  v.. is.    In  an  instant  of 
time,  the  men  forming  the  advance  of  the  column  had  thrown  their  knapsacks  on  either 
side  the  road,  and  bringing  their  piece?  ;    ..*:    charge,  advanced  in  double  quick  time  upon 
our  miniature  battery. 

"  Our  troops  being  at  length  compoHed  ici  retire,  contestjJ  every  inch  of  ground,  until 
they  reached  the  south  bank  of  the  '^".n^.M:,  where  the  enemy  attempted  to  pursue  theai, 
but  was  repulsed  with  loss.    The  lo»  af  tho  British  in  this  skinnish,  was  Col.  Wellinirton, 

10  ^ 


■\ 


74 


CLINTOIf   COUNTY. 


and  a  Lieut,  of  the  3d  Bufis,  and  two  Lieuts.  of  the  58th,  killed ;  and  one  Capt.  and  one 
Lieut,  of  the  58th  light  company  wounded,  together  with  about  100  priTBtee  killed  and 
wounded,  while  that  on  our  port  did  not  exceed  35.  The  corps  of  riflemen  under  Col. 
Appling,  and  detachment  under  Capt.  Sproul,  fell  back  from  their  position  at  Dead  creek 
in  time  to  join  the  militia  and  regulars  just  before  they  entered  the  village,  and  fought  with 
their  accustomed  bravery.  The  British  got  possession  of  that  part  of  the  village  north  of 
the  Saranac  about  11  o'clock,  but  the  incessant  and  well-directed  fire  of  our  artillery  and 
musketry  from  the  forts  and  opposite  banks,  compelled  them  to  retire  before  night  beyond 
the  reach  of  our  guns.'  The  bridge  in  the  village  was  defended  during  this  day  by  Capt. 
Martin  I.  Aikin's  company*  of  volunteers,  who  were  stationed  in  the  saw.mill  on  the  south 
baak  of  the  river  for  that  purpose.  The  enemy  arrived  towards  night  with  his  heavy  artii. 
leijr  and  baggage  on  the  lake  road,  and  crossed  the  beach,  where  he  met  with  a  warm  re. 
ception  from  our  row-galleys ;  and  it  is  believed,  suffered  a  heavy  loss  in  killed  and  wound, 
ed.  On  our  side,  Lieut.  Duncan  of  the  navy  lost  an  arm  by  a  rocket,  and  3  or  4  men  were 
killed  by  the  enemy's  artillery.  The  enemy  encamped  on  the  ridge  west  of  the  town,  hia 
right  near  the  river,  and  occupying  an  extent  of  nearly  3  miles,  his  left  resting  on  the  lake 
about  a  mile  north  of  the  village.  From  the  6th  until  the  morning  of  the  11th,  an  almost 
continual  skirmishing  was  kept  up  between  the  enemy's  pickets  and  our  militia  and  volun. 

tears  stationed  on  the  river,  and  in  the  mean  time  both  armies  were  busily  engaged oura 

in  strengthening  the  works  of  the  forts,  and  that  of  the  enemy  in  erecting  batteries,  collecU 
ing  ladders,  bringing  up  his  heavy  ordnance,  and  making  other  preparations  for  attacking 
the  forts.  On  the  morning  of  the  7th,  a  body  of  the  enemy  under  Capt.  Noadie,  attempted 
to  cross  at  the  upper  bridge  about  7  miles  west  of  the  village,  but  were  met  by  Capt. 
Vaughn's  company  of  about  25  men,  and  compelled  to  retire  with  the  loss  of  two  killed,  and 
■•yeral  wounded.  On  the  morning  of  the  11th,  the  enemy's  fleet  came  round  the  Head 
with  a  tight  breeze  from  the  north,  and  attacked  ours  which  lay  at  anchor  in  Cumberiand 
bay,  two  miles  from  shore  east  of  the  fort. 

"  '  The  enemy  commenced  a  simultaneous  bombardment  of  our  works  from  7  batteries, 
from  which  several  hundred  shells  and  rockets  were  discharged,  which  did  us  yery  little 
injury ;  and  our  artillery  had  nearly  succeeded  in  silencing  tliem  all  before  the  contest  on 
the  lake  was  decided. 

"  *  The  enemy  attempted  at  the  same  time  to  throw  his  main  body  in  the  rear  of  the  fort, 
by  crossing  the  river  3  miles  west  of  the  town,  near  the  site  of  Pike's  cantonment.  He 
succeeded  in  crossing,  after  a  brave  resistance  by  the  Essex  militia  and  a  few  of  the  Ver. 
mont  volunteers,  in  all  about  350,  stationed  at  that  place,  who  retired  back  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  river,  continually  pouring  in  upon  them  an  incessant  fire  from  behind  every 
tree,  until  Lieut.  Sumpter  brought  up  a  piece  of  artillery  to  their  support,  when  the  enemy 
commenced  a  precipitate  retreat. 

"  '  The  Verm-  nt  volunteers,  who  had  hastened  to  the  scone  of  action  on  the  first  alarm, 

fell  upon  the  enemy's  left  flank,  and  succeeded  in  making  many  "lisoners,  including  3  oflicers! 

"  •  Had  the  British  remained  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  30  minutes  longer,  he  must 

have  lost  nearly  th«  whole  detachment  that  crossed.    Our  loss  in  this  affair  was  five  killed 

and  eight  or  ten  wounded,  some  mortally. 

"  *  Immediately  on  ascertaining  the  loss  of  the  fleet.  Sir  George  Prevost  ordered  prepara. 
bons  to  be  made  for  the  retreat  of  the  army,  and  set  off  himself,  with  a  small  escort,  for 
Canada,  a  little  after  noon.  Tho  main  body  of  the  enemy,  with  the  artillery  and  baggage, 
were  taken  off  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  rear  guard,  consisting  of  the  light  brigade,  started  at 
daybreak  and  made  a  precipitate  retreat ;  leaving  their  wounded  and  a  large  quantity  of  pro. 
visions,  fixed  ammunition,  shot,  shells,  and  other  public  stores,  in  the  different  places  of 
deposit  about  their  camp.  They  were  pursued  some  distance  by  our  troops,  and  many 
prisoners  taken ;  but  owing  to  the  vei-y  heavy  and  incessant  rain,  we  were  compelled  to 
return.  The  enemy  lost  upon  land  more  than  1,000  men,  in  killed,  wounded,  prisoners, 
and  deserters,  while  our  aggregate  loss  did  not  exceed  150.' " 

The  following  account  of  the  naval  action  is  from  "  Perkins*  His- 
tory of  the  late  WarP 

•  u  '^^^  American  fleet,  under  Commodore  McDonough,  lay  at  anchor  in  the  bay,  on  the 
right  flank  of  the  American  lines,  and  two  miles  distant.    Great  exertions  had  been  made 


...IK.  3  '^'"ITy  '^,'»»  •^mpwHl  of  young  men  and  bojrg  of  the  village,  most  of  whom  were  not  auhjpct  to 
military  duly,  who  vohinteer.'d  attcr  the  militia  hiid  gone  out  on  Uie  Chazy  road,  ..rti'red  their  servi^ces  to 
Oen  Macomb,  wlio  accepted  their  otfer,  armed  the  compny  with  riflw,  a.wl  orderwl  them  to  rvrnir  to  the 


i 

I 


CLINTON   COUNTY.  75 

by  both  PartiM  to  jwoduce  a  iuperior  naval  force  on  thia  lak« ;  the  Americani  at  Otter 
creek,  and  the  Britiah  at  the  I.Ie  aujt  Noix.  On  comparingr  their  relative  itrenffth  on  the 
i,„  *  P®"f  *  o^""*  "  ^!y"'«»"  fleet  congirted  of  the  Saratoga,  flag-.hip,  moimting  26 
guns ;  Eagle,  20  guna ;  Ticonderoga.  17  gun.  ;  Preble,  7  gun.  ;  6  galleys,  of  2  guju  each. 
12  guns;  4  of  1,4  guns:  making  in  the  whole  86  guns,  and  820  men.  "nie  BritU 
fleet  consisted  of  the  frigate  Confiance,  flag-ship,  mounting  39  gun.  ;  Linnet,  16  mm.  : 
,  Cherub,  11  guns;  Finch,  11  gun.  j  5  galley,  of  2  gun.  each.  lO  gun.;  8  of  1,  8  mn. 
making  in  the  whole  95  guns,  and  1,0^)  men.  .       *       ,  o       *,  o  |[ui» 

"  The  British  land  forces  employed  themselves  from  the  7th  to  the  11th,  in  bringing  up 
^!"-  f^7-^  artillery,  and  strengthening  their  work,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Saranao. 
I  heir  fortified  encampment  was  on  a  ridge  a  little  to  the  west  of  the  town,  their  riirht  near 
the  nver,  and  their  left  resting  on  the  lake,  1  mile  in  the  rear  of  the  village.  Havinir  deter- 
IJJ'H  fwu  ■"°!'!'«"«'°'«  «"««=''  by  land  and  water,  they  lay  in  this  position  on  the  momine 
of  the  nth,  waiting  the  approach  of  their  fleet.  At  8  o'clock,  the  wished-for  ships  appear- 
ed  under  easy  sail,  moving  round  Cumberland  head  ;  and  were  hailed  with  joyous  acclama- 
tion* At  9,  they  anchored  within  300  yards  of  the  American  squadron  in  line  of  battle ; 
the  Confiance  opposed  to  the  Saratoga,  the  Linnet  to  the  Eagle  ;  13  British  galleys  to  the 
riconderoga,  Preble,  and  a  division  of  the  American  galleys.    The  Cherub  assisting  the 

S^fTri'i**^"'"*"'':;"'*^''*'*^'?'''  "'"^'"K  '"«  B«"«y-  In  th"  position,  the  weather 
being  perfectly  clear  and  calm,  and  the  bay  smooth,  the  whole  force  on  both  sides  became 
at  once  engaged.*  At  an  hour  and  a  half  after  the  commencement  of  the  action,  the  star- 
S^h  Jrj'^^**'*'  ^r*T  n^  """'y  ""  dismantled.  The  commandant  ordered  a  .tem 
and  „,  ^^*^'"?'^t'r''i''-^  ^"^^^  •=°'''«  •="'•  ^  ™«""'«  "f  which  the  ship  rounded  t™ 
™tlS  Z  fi  •'/"»'j^^«"'''«'d«  to  her  enemy,  f  he  Confiance  attempted  L  .ame  opel 
ration  and  failed.  This  was  attended  with  such  powerftil  effects,  that  she  was  oblieed  to 
rJI!  Tk'"t*  ^'''.  •»"»»'.««•,  The  whole  broadside  of  the  Saratoga  was  thL  bSaJht  S 
t^«  R,l  h*  ^'""''^'  *"u  !"  lu  '^""f""  '^^  '■''"''^'"'  '^^  «**•"?'«  °f  her  flag-ship.  cfne  of 
J^h?  fll  t  J.  •*  '^""'''  Vr''  ^"•^".i  ^  ^''"''y'  '^"'^  «"»•'•  «''>  the  rest  made  off ;  no  ship 
in  the  fleet  being  in  a  condition  to  follow  them,  they  escaped  down  the  lake.    There  waS 

LhS''"^!'"^'"!"''"'''^"-'^^^'/'"""''*^  "^  the  action,  to  which  a  sail  could  be 
attached.  The  Saratoga  received  55  round  shot  in  her  hull,  and  the  Confiance  105.  The 
action  lasted  without  any  cessation,  on  a  smooth  sea,  at  close  quarters,  2  houH  and  20 

wZ  fcm-H"  A  f  ,T"'=''"  ^T^T  ^^  '""'*'  '''""•^'  ""'^  5®  wounded.  In  the  British,  84 
wme  killed,  and  110  wounded.     Among  the  slain  was  the  British  commandant.  Com. 

7ZTa  ^h"  "."^Tru''^'^"*  '"  *^""  ^'^^  "^  hoth  armies,  and  of  numerous  spectators 
fnh«Ki.  .  ^,1  ^'^  ur'  ho'^J^r'ng  on  the  bay,  to  witness  the  scene.  It  was  view^  by  the 
nhabitants  with  tromblm^  anxiety,  as  success  on  the  part  of  the  British  would  have  opened 

on  thTwirLTTJ"  "  n^^l^"*- "^  '^^  "'i^J'^'y'  ■""•  ^""P^^  »  numeroa.  population 
on  the  borders  of  the  lake  to  British  ravages.    When  the  flag  of  the  Confiance  vJ^as  struck, 

n,^ti  K^'I'T.""'*^''  *"'u  ^^^  ^•"'''"natio.w  of  the  American  troops  and  citizens.  The 
.  A  'iT- "!.•  1'"^  ^*T  the"  fleet  completely  conquered,  were  dispirited  and  confounded." 
«om,niL  K  n  M*  T  the  village,  are  the  ruins  of  the  cantonment  and  breastwork. 
wscupH^d  by  Gen.  Macomb  and  hi.  troops.  A  mile  north,  is  shown  the  house  held  by  Gen. 
Prevoet.  as  his  head-quarters,  during  the  siege  ;  between  which  and  the  village  the  mark, 
ot  cannon-shot  on  the  tree,  and  other  objects  are  still  visible.  Further  onward  about  5 
miles,  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  village  of  Beekmantown,  is  the  spot  where  a  wnKuinary 
H«ftW!h  ^v^K  n*.'tl^f.-°  ^^^  American  and  British  troops,  wfuch  resulted  in  thi 
death  of  the  British  Col.  Wellington,  and  several  men  of  both  armies."— Oorifon'.  Oax 


M^rll'  will  mention  one  circnmstanee  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  fVaine  of  mind  in  which  the  hmm 
^e^^h^***  •"•'/l^.  'he  battle,  and  In  whom  he  put  hU  trust  for  snccesTAner  thfenemy's  fleet  ho^^IS 
sight,  the  men  of  his  ship  were  assembled  on  the  quartet  deck,  when  he  kneeled  down  and  i^hnmhll 
and  fervent  prayer,  commended  himself,  his  men,  and  ihe  causi  in  whicS  V"ey  wereTnm^  to  Vhe  G^ 
^h„»„^*"'  "i!"^,  *™?  *?""  ^?'"  P^'""'  '*'*  »  calmner,  and  serenity  depicted  onTlfb'ro^vwS 
•howeU  1.3  had  recrived  comfort  and  assurance  ftom  abova.  Okb  other  fittle  Incident  and  I  ^JilTorMeed 
with  my  subject.  During  the  hottest  part  of  the  batUe,  the  hen-coop  was  shot  a  way  when  a  c,!^  e, 
caped  and  flew  up  Into  the  rigging,  flapped  his  wings,  and  crowed  miit  manfully'The  SHi  lors  c^nstd 
ered  this  a.  a  sure  omen  of  success,  anJTcheerlng  ftom  one  end  of  the  ship  to  the  othtr  went  to  ?hlt 
tZ'whlil'"  '",1'""'"' '°  '•"*  """"^  '^"i'  •'"'''""""^  ««""">•  The  cock  remaned  in  the  r^^uHng 
rrtlT5^^:?L'»:?:r?X^- -^r^^^^r^il^^^^  °°  •"  •  iP«...r  exertion  WS 


76 


COLUMBIA  COUNTY. 


COLUMBIA  COUNTY. 


Columbia  county,  taken  from  Albany  in  1786 :  its  greatest  length 
on  the  £.  line  36,  medium  breadth  18  miles.  Centrally  distant  N. 
from  New  York  125,  from  Albany,  SE.,  34  miles.  The  surface  of 
the  county  is  considerably  diversified,  though  no  part  can  be  called 
mountainous.  Ranges  of  small  hillocks  are  interspersed  with  exten- 
sive plains  or  valleys,  and  much  of  rich  alluvion.  There  are  some 
excellent  lands,  and  much  of  the  larger  portion  may  be,  by  judicious 
culture,  rendered  highly  productive.  Nature,  in  the  abundant  beds  of 
lime,  has  furnished  the  means,  as  if  by  a  special  providence,  of  tem- 
pering the  cold  and  ungrateful  constituents  of  the  clay  ;  and  in  many 
places  the  lime  in  the  form  of  marl  does  not  require  burning  to  become 
a  stimulant.  Scarce  any  portion  of  the  state  is  better  adapted  to  the 
raising  of  sheep,  and  the  profits  from  this  source,  already  great,  are 
yearly  increasing.  This  county  is  famed  for  the  quantity  and  quality 
of  its  Indian  corn.  Lead  and  iron  ore  are  found  in  this  county.  It  is 
divided  into  19  towns  : 


Ancram, 

Austerlitz, 

Canaan, 

Chatham, 

Claverack, 


Clermont, 

Copake, 

Gallatin, 

Germantown, 

Ghent, 


Greenport,  New  Lebanon, 

Hillsdale,  Stockport, 

Hudson  City,  Stuyvesant, 

Kinderhook,  Taghkanic. 
Livingston, 


Hudson,  the  capital  of  Columbia  county,  is  situated  on  the  E.  bank 
of  Hudson  river,  116  miles  from  New  York,  29  from  Albany,  and  28 
from  West  Stockbridge,  Mass.  Lat.  42°  14'  N.,  long.  14'  E.  from 
New  York.  The  city  is  finely  situated  on  an  elevation  of  about  50 
feet  above  the  Hudson,  the  western  part  of  which  is  a  bold  cliflF  or  pro- 
montory projecting  into  the  river,  more  than  60  feet  high.  The  prin- 
cipal part  01  the  city  is  built  on  a  street  one  mile  long,  extending  in  a 
straight  line  from  the  foot  of  Prospect  Hill,  to  the  promenade  on  the 
extremity  of  the  cliff,  Nearly  all  the  streets  intersect  each  other  at 
right  angles,  excejpt  near  the  river,  where  they  conform  to  the  shape 
of  the  ground.  The  promenade  at  thj  western  extremity,  and  fronting 
the  principal  street,  commands  a  beautiful  view  of  the  river,  the  vil- 
lage of  Athens  opposite,  the  country  beyond,  and  the  towering  Catskill 
mountains.  The  bay  south  of  the  city  is  locked  in  by  a  lofty  emi- 
nence, anciently  termed  Rorabuck,  now  called  Mount  Merino,  in  con- 
sequence of  there  being  a  sheep  farm  established  here  some  years 
since.  The  city  contains  5  churches — 1  Presbyterian,  1  Episcopal,  1 
Baptist,  1  Methodist,  and  1  Universalist.  There  is  an  academy,  a 
number  oi  classical  3choo)8,  the  Hudson  Lunatic  Asylum,  a  private 
hospital  for  the  reception  and  cure  of  lunatics,  1  bank,  and  3  pnnting- 
offices.  /ix  elegant  courthouse  has  been  recently  erected.  Water  is 
brought  in  subtenanean  pipes  from  the  foot  of  Becraft's  mountain  for 


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COLUMBIA  COUNTY. 


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Hudgnn  was  founded  in  1783,  by  enterprising  men  of  property  from 
Rhode  Ulai.d  and  Nantucket,  of  the  name*  of  Jenkina,  Paddock,  Bar- 
nard, Coffin,  Thurston,  Greene,  Min'uni,  Law r.  nee,  and  otheri,  in  all 
thirty  peraona.  About  twenty  of  this  coiupany,  in  the  early  part  of 
178{i,  sailed  up  the  Hud.  >n  to  find  gomr  navigable  aituation  on  which 
to  commi:nce  a  new  aettlei.iont.  They  scicci'd  and  purchased  the  site 
on  which  the  city  now  stands,  which  at  that  time  waa  occupied  aa  a 
farm,  with  a  single  store-houso  on  iIk;  bank  of  he  river.  In  the  fall  of 
this  year,  two  families  arrived  and  commonc  d  a  settlement.  In  the 
spring  of  1784,  the  other  proprietors  arrived,  bringing  with  ihem  aere- 
ral  vessels  ;  they  were  soon  followed  by  other  emigrants  from  the  east- 
ward. Between  the  spring  of  1784  arid  that  of  1786,  then  were  150 
dwelling-houses  rected,  besides  wharves,  warehouses,  shups,  barns, 
•Sec,  and  several  works  c  /nnected  with  manufactures  ;  and  the  popu- 
lation had  increased  to  1,600  persons.  In  1795,  Mr.  Ashbel  Stoddard 
removed  from  Connecticut,  established  a  printing-office,  and  issued  a 
weekly  paper,  the  **  Hudson  Gazette." 

Hudson  was  incorporated  a  city  in  1785.  At  this  period  about 
twenty-Jive  vessels  wore  owned  in  the  place,  which  were  mostly  em- 
jiloycd  in  the  West  India  trade  ;  a  few  were  engaged  in  the  whale  and 
seal  fishery,  which  was  carried  on  with  considerable  success,  and  Hud- 
son rapidly  increased  in  wealth  and  population.  During  the  revolu- 
tionary struggle  in  France,  and  the  long  protracted  war  in  Europe,  such 
was  the  demand  for  neutral  vessels,  and  such  the  high  priced  ot  freight, 
that  the  vessels  owned  here  were  engaged  in  the  carrying  trade.  This 
trade  was  not  long  enjoyed,  for  British  orders  in  council  and  French 
decrees  swept  many  of  them  from  their  owners.  Other  losses  follow- 
ed by  shipwreck,  and  the  embargo,  non-intercourse,  and  the  war 
which  succeeded,  almost  finished  the  prosperity  of  Hudson.  The  city 
was  a  port  of  entry  till  1815.  The  immense  losses  at  sea  produced 
much  embarrassment  and  many  failures,  and  kept  the  place  m  a  state 
of  depression  for  a  considerable  period.  From  this  depression  it  is 
gradually  and  steadily  advancing.  The  Hudson  and  Berkshire  rail- 
road proceeds  from  this  city,  across  the  route  of  the  New  York  and 
Albany  railroad,  31  miles  to  the  west  line  of  Massachusetts  at  West 
Stockbridge,  whence  it  is  continued  for  two  miles,  till  it  unites  with 
the  great  western  railroad  of  that  state. 

Valaiie  is  a  large  manufacturing  village  14  miles  N.  from  Hudson, 
at  the  junction  of  the  Valatie  and  Kinderhook  creeks.  It  has  4  exten- 
sive cotton  mills,  besides  other  manufacturing  establishments  ;  it  con- 
tains about  300  dwellings,  and  1,700  inhabitants.  The  village  of  Kin- 
derhook is  12  miles  N.  of  Hudson,  5  E.  from  the  river,  and  is  finely  situ- 
ated on  a  level  plain.  It  has  several  churches,  an  academy  in  high 
repute,  a  bank,  and  upwards  of  100  dwellings.  It  is  distinguished  as 
the  birthplace  and  residence  of  ex-president  Van  Buren. 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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78 


COLUMBIA  COVNTT. 


Lebanon  Springs  vUlage  is  85  miles  from  Albany,  82  NE.  from 
Hudson.  There  are  here  about  85  dwellings,  and  several  taverns  for 
^  aeeommodation  of  visiters  at  the  spring.  The  spring  is  ten  feet  in 
diameter  and  four  deep,  and  discharges  water  sufficient  to  turn  several 
mills  near  its  source.  The  water  is  tasteless,  inodorous,  and  soft,  and 
is  deemed  beneficial  in  intemiJ  obstructions,  salt-rheum,  and  cutaneous 
affections  generally.  The  place  is  much  resorted  to  for  health  and 
amusement.  The  surroundinff  country  is  salubrious  and  picturesque. 
New  Lebanon  is  a  small  setflement,  one  mile  and  a  half^SE.  of  the 
spring. 


Si  KM  fiLniirii 


Shaker  Buildings  in  New  Lebanon. 

New  Lebanon,  Shaker  village,  called  by  its  inhabitants  the  village 
of  the  "  Millennial  Church,''  is  two  and  a  half  miles  S.  of  the  spring, 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Taghkanic  mountain,  and  contains  about 
six  humfre^i  inhabitants.  The  annexed  view  shows  one  of  their 
dwellings,  (containing  k  family  oi  150  persons,)  and  their  meeting- 
house, which  was  erected  in  1883,  This  place  of  worship  is  some- 
what sin^lar  in  its  construction.  It  is  eighty  feet  long  by  sixty-five 
wide,  dl  in  one  room,  without  beams  or  pillars,  having  a  domical  roof 
covered  with  tin ;  and  a  porch  thirty^fowr  by  twenty-seven  feet,  roofed 
and  covered  the  same  way.  The  building  is  of  wood,  but  the  founda- 
tion and  flights  of  steps  are  of  marble. 

"  This  edifice,"  says  a  visiter,  "  stands  in  a  beautiful  grass  plat,  in 
the  centre  of  the  village.  There  are  no  seats  in  the  house,  except  for 
spectators  of  their  worship.  Their  stone  walls  and  other  fences  are 
constructed  with  the  utmost  regularity  and  precision,  and  their  gate- 
posts are  of  massive  marble  columns,  of  many  tons  weight.  They 
manufacture  a  great  variety  of  articles  for  sale,  which  are  remarka- 
ble for  their  neatness  and  durability;  and,  in  short,  their  farms,  their 
gardens,  their  manufactories,  and  houses,  all  exhibit  the  pleasing  effects 
of  industry  and  rural  economy.  Indeed,  they  are  one  independent 
community ;— their  property  is  all  held  in  common,  and  *  nowhere,* 
says  Professor  Silliman,  '  in  any  community,  can  the  moralist,  the 
philosopher,  or  the  statesman,  see  such  a  demonsifution  of  the  power 


COLUMBIA  COVMTT. 


19 


of  industry  and  econonw.'  Thev  cheerfully  pay  thftir  proportion  of 
the  public  taxes,  and  share  all  the  burdens  of  govemmint  except  the 
bearing  of  arms,  which  they  deem  to  be  unlawful.  They  neter  ask 
chanty  for  any  purpose,  but  always  have  hands  and  hearts  to  mfe. 
We  were  conducted  through  the  whole  establishment  in  every  de- 
partment. Their  internal  domestic  arrangement  is  excellent.  Their 
staiidmg  motto  seems  to  be,  to  save  lime  and  labor,  and  all  their  va- 
rious machines  and  utensils  are  constructed  to  this  end.  We  visited 
their  extensive  dairy  their  washing-house,  mills  and  mamifactories. 
ail  ot  which  evinced  the  most  consummate  skill  and  nicety.  We  also 
visited  their  school,  consisting  of  about  one  hundred  hearty,  rosy- 
cheeked,  and  contented  children,  from  eight  to  fifteen  years  of  a«e. 
1  hey  underwent  a  very  creditable  examination  in  the  various  branches 
ot  astronomy,  grammar,  reading,  spelling,  arithmetic,  &c.,  and  gave 
us  the  most  satisfactory  proof  that  they  are  not  trained  up  in  igno- 
rance. .  .  .  .  As  far  as  our  observation  extended,  they  are  as  wiDinff 
to  let  o  hers  think  for  themselves,  as  they  are  ti  cherish  ihekowH 

tolerant.     They  are,  indeed,  a  most  singular  people,  but  they  havo 

3'  ^f'yr"^'  «^^«"««»  r««t^»-  They  we  pliin  in  thdr  du- 
portment  and  maimers,  close  thouch  honest  in  their  dealings,  but  kiS. 
benevolent,  and  hospitable ;  ancf  they  remember  and  triasuro  up 
every  kindness  shown  to  them.  In  short,  they  are  inoffensive,  quiet. 
and  valuable  citizens;  and  notwithstanding  the  idle,  and  even  gSomil 
nable  stones  that  have  been  put  forth  against  them,  after  clos*  obser- 
vation  for  many  years  past,  it  is  our  deliberate  conviction  that  among 
themselves  Uiev  stnctly  live  up  to  their  professions,  and  that  t^ir  con- 
duct  and  morals  are  irreproachable." 

The  society  own  about  2,000  acres  of  land  in  this  town,  loul  about 
half  as  much  more  in  Hancock,  Mass.,  tlie  adjoining  town.  Within 
a  few  years  after  «  Mother  Ann,"  as  she  is  usually  called,  made  an 
establishment  at  Neskayuna,  another  was  begun  at  New  lebanon 
which  is  now  the  principal  Shaker  establishment  in  the  state.  Their 
religious  tenets  must,  of  course,  necessarily  affect  the  order  of  their 
societies,  by  producing  an  entire  separation  of  the  men  from  the  wo- 
men. "•  *»*c  wu 

The  leading  characteristic  in  the  worship  of  this  people,  is  their 
dancing.  This  they  descnbe  as  the  involuntary  result  of  the  exhilirat- 
ing  and  overpowenng  delight  received  through  the  butpourinjt  of  di- 
vine grace  upon  their  hearts.  The  evolutions  and  clianges  in  the 
dance,  by  constant  p-^ctice,  become  as  Precisely  correct  as  the  ma- 
nauvres  of  a  regiment  of  experienced  soldiers  ;  it  becomes,  in  fact,  a 
mechanical  movement.  No  one  ever  makes  a  mistake,  or  throws  the 
rank  in  disorder  from  mattention  or  inexperience ;  but  every  thinir  is 
conducted  m  the  most  exact  order,  as  if  every  step  and  movement  of 
he  body  was  directed  by  a  gauge  and  mle.  Dances  are  sometimes 
held  in  pnvate  houses,  when  variations  are  frequenUy  introduced. 
On  some  occasions.jt  is  said,  their  movements  are  so  rapid,  that  the 
eye  can  scaite  iOuu«  or  keep  pace  with  their  swift  motions. 

I 


1. 


m 


CORTLAND  COUNTY. 


CORTLAND  COUNTY. 
CoKTLAND  QOVNTY,  taken  from  Onondaga  in  1808,  was  named  in 
honor  of  Gen.  Pierre  Van  Cottlandt,  who  was  a  large  landholder 
here:  centrally  distant  NW.  from  New  York,  200,  and  from  Al- 
bany, W.,  145  miles.  This  county  forms  part  of  the  high  central 
section  of  the  state.  It  has  the  dividing  ridffe  between  the  northern 
and  southern  waters  across  its  northern  and  western  borders.  It  is 
consequently  elevated.  Its  surface  is  composed  of  easy  hills  and! 
broad  valleys,  giting  it  a  gently  waving  and  diversified  aspect.  The 
soil  is  generally  a  gravelly  loam,  rich  and  productive.  This  county 
comprises  four  whole  and  two  half  townships  of  the  tract  granted  by 
the  state  to  the  soldiers  of  the  revolution,  and  is  settled  chiefly  by 
emigrants  from  the  eastern  states.  It  is  divided  into  1 1  towns,  viz. : 
Cincinnatus,         Homer,  Scott,  Virgil, 

Cortlandville,       Marathon,  Solon,  Wifiett. 

Freetown,  Preble,  Truxton, 


Public  buildings  in  Cortland. 


Cortland,  the  county  seat,  is  140  miles  from  Albany.  The  first 
building  on  the  right  is  the  Methodist  church,  the  second  the  Academy, 
the  third  the  Presbyterian,  the  fourth  the  Baptist,  and  the  last  the 
Universalist  church.  The  courthouse  is  seen  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  streot.  The  village  is  pleasantly  situated,  and  laid  out  in  regular 
squares.  There  are  here  two  weekly  newspaper  offices  and  about  130 
dwellings,  some  of  them  being  fine  edifices. 

Homer  village,  the  largest  in  the  county,  is  beautifully  situated  upon 
a  plain,  upon  the  W.  bank  of  the  Tioughnioga  river ;  from  Albany 
138  miles,  40  N.  from  Owego,  30  S.from  Syracuse,  2i  N.  from  Cort- 
land village.  The  Cortland  Academy  is  a  highly  flourishing  institu- 
tion, having  a  collection  of  philosophical  apparatus  and  a  cabinet  of 
minerals.  The  public  buildings  are  upon  a  square  of  6  acres.  Homer 
was  incorporated  in  1826,  and  has  about  200  dwellings  and  4  churches. 


DELAWARK  COVHTY. 


81 


DELAWARE  COUNTY. 

DsijkWARB  COUNTY,  foHued  from  Ulster  and  Otsego  counties  in 
1797,  is  centrally  distant  from  New  York,  via  Cattskill,  166,  SW.  from 
Albany,  77  mUes.  Greatest  length  NE.  and  SW.  60 :  greatest  breadth 
SE.  and  NW.  37  miles. 

The  county  has  a  broken  and  diversified  surface— from  the  rugged, 
lofty,  and  barren  mountain  side  and  summit,  to  the  subsiding  bilfand 
the  high  and  low  plain,  with  the  rich  valley,  and  the  low  and  fertile 
alluvion.    Its  climate  is  subject  to  sudden  and  great  changes  of  tem- 
perature, yet  not  unfriendly  to  health  and  longevity.    K  is  princi- 
pally watered  by  the  northeastern  sources  of  the  Delaware  river. 
The  east  branch  of  the  Susquehannah,  another  large  stream  of  Penn- 
sylvania, forms  a  part  of  the  northeastern  boundary,  as  does  the  Del- 
aware a  part  of  its  southwestern.    The  Cookquago  branch  of  the 
Delaware,  or  the  true  Delaware,  as  it  ought  to  be  called,  runs  nearly 
centrally  through  the  county  from  NE.  to  SW. ;  the  Popacton  branch 
nins  nearly  parallel  with  this,  a  short  distance  to  the  south  of  iu 
These  streams  with  their  branches,  and  many  smaller  streams,  spread 
plentifully  over  the  whole  county,  and  supply  a  vast  profusion  of  fine 
sites  for  mills.    The  quality  of  the  soil  is  as  various  as  the  surface. 
On  the  upland  there  is  a  large  proportion  of  chocolate    ^;  ored  loam, 
and  the  valleys  and  alluvial  flats  have  a  rich  mould.    The  whole -may 
be  pronounced  a  good  country  for  farming,  well  watered  by  smail 
springs  and  rivulets.    The  heavy  trade  of  this  county  follows  the 
course  of  its  lumber,  which  goes  in  rafts  by  the  Delaware  and  Sus- 
quehannah rivers  to  Philadelphia  and  Laltimore  ;  while  considerable 
traffic  is  carried  on  with  the  towns  on  the  Hudson,  to  whidi  there 
are  turnpikes  in  various  directions.    The  value  of  the  wild  lands  in 
the  county  is  from  two  to  three  dollars  an  acre,  and  the  improved 
lands  in  the  valleys  average  about  30  dollars,  while  those  on  the  hills 
are  worth  about  6  dollars  the  acre.    West  of  the  Mohawk  branch 
of  the  Delaware,  the  county  was  divided  into  several  patents ;  but 
east  of  it  was  included  in  the  Hardenbur^h  patent.    In  1768*.  William, 
John,  Alexander,  and  Joseph  Harper,  with  eighteen  others,  obtained 
a  patent  here  for  22,000  acres  of  land,  and  soon  after  the  Harpers 
removed  from  Cherry  Valley,  and  made  a  settlement  which  was 
called  Harpersfield,  but  which  was  broken  up  by  Uie  Indians  and 
tories  during  the  revolutionaty  war.    About  one  quarter  of  the  county 
is  under  improvement.    The  county  has  18  towns,  viz.  • 


Andes, 

Bovina, 

Colchester, 

Davenport, 

Delhi, 


Franklin, 

Hamden, 

Hancock, 

Harpersfield, 

Kortright, 


Masonville, 

Meredith, 

Middletown, 

Roxbury, 

Sidney, 


Stamford, 

Tompkins, 

Walton. 


The  annexed  view  of  Delhi  village,  the  county  seat,  was  taken  on 
the  eastern  bank  of  the  Delaware.  This  village  was  incorporated  in 
1821.    The  building  with  a  steeple  seen  on  the  extreme  right 


iS. 


■;i  1 


is 


11 


BSLAWARI  COVMTT. 


Eastern  view  of  Delhi  Village. 
factoiy— the  spire  near  the  centre  of  the  view  is  that  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  the  one  to  the  left  the  Presbyterian,  and  the  cupolas  are  re- 
spectively  those  of  the  Courthouse,  Jail,  and  Academy.  The  village 
contains  about  100  dwellings,  situated  about  70  miles  westerly  from 
KjMston  and  CattskiU.  ^ 

KankUn  village  is  pleasantly  situated  16  miles  W.  of  Delhi,  60  S 
from  Uuca ;  has  3  churches  and  about  100  dwellings,  and  "  The  Dela- 
ware literary  Institute,"  incorporated  in  1835,  which  is  a  flourishina 
institution.  Deposit,  40  miles  SW.  of  Delhi,  is  a  village  of  about  100 
dweUmgs,  on  Delaware  river,  and  is  a  place  where  greal  quantities  of 
lumber  are  deposited  to  float  down  the  river  to  market. 

The  following  is  extracted  from  Mr.  Campbell's  interestinir  and  val- 
uable work,  entitled  "Annals  of  Tryon  County." 

"  In  1768,  William,  John,  Alexander,  and  Joseph  Harper,  with  eighteen  other  individnab 
obtained  a  patent  for  twenty-two  thoueand  acres  of  land  lying  in  the  nowcoSL  y  of  K: 
ware.  The  Harper,  removed  from  Cherry  Valley  soon  afterfand  made  a  wtSentThew 
mSS  ami"  'Jrr?'' H  Thi.  -ettlement  had  begun  to  flouriah  atThermmenc" 

"  ^.^n     •  J»»"»  Harper  had  command  of  one  of  the  fort.,  in  Schoharie. 

-nt  followmg  account  of  a  aucceaeful  enterprise  of  Col.  Harper,  was  furnished  bv  the 

m7^«  J;;""'^''"*'*'*"'^ V**!;^"'^™'*''°^ ^^  '^™-    «•  ^f-™*"!  ">«  that  in  the'^oS 

Jsril^N^  l«ft''th«?„HT„''«  V'T  ^"^  '"Schoharie,  and  of  all  the  frontier  stations  in  this 

fh??^.  «r    t  "  Schoharie,  and  came  out  through  the  woods  to  Harperefield  in 

he  Umeofmakuig  sugar,  and  from  thence  laid  his  comse  for  Cherry  Valley  to  tavestiw  o 

i/ndt'^wh  ?^  *''*"' j,!?'lr  ••*  ^S*.  P"""™?  «  Wind  kind  of  Indian  tra^il  and  wL^! 
cendrag  what  are  nowoatied  Decatur  Hills,  he  cast  hft  eye  forward,  and  saw  a  comDanvof 
men  coming  dir«stlytow«ds  him,  who  had  the  appearance  of  Ind  ans.  He  knewTha^°f 
he  attempted  to  flee  from  them  they  would  shoot  him  down ;  he  resolved  to  advaTce Tht 
up  to  them,  and  make  the  best  shift  for  himself  he  could.  As  soon  as  he  cam"  ear  enouVh 
to  discern  the  wh^  of  their  eyes,  he  knew  the  head  man  and  several  othe«7  the  head 
mans  name  was  Peter,  an  Indian  with  whom  Col.  Harper  had  often  tradedToquio  b^- 

cZclaLST?  !J"r  '^^'"'-  » ^'"'  ""'""I'  ^'^  H"  »"»*-*'"'*^  ""•  ~  that  his  regimeStaTwe^ 
concealed,  and  he  was  not  recognised ;  the  first  word  of  address  of  Coif  Harper  wm 
•How  do  you  do.  brothers?'  The  reply  was.  -Well-how  do  you  do.  brotherTwhi"h 
way  are  you  bound,  brother?'  •  On  a  secret  expedition :  and  which  way  are  you  bound 
brothers?*  'Down  the  Susquehannah,  to  cut  off  the  Johnston  settlement  ^a«on  John- 
ston and  a  number  of  Scotch  families  had  settled  down  the  Susquehannah,  at  what  is 
now  oalled  Sidney'.  Plams,  and  these  we»  the  pM>ple  whom  tbey  were  aboS  to  dJtoy" 


/ 


DBUIWARS   COVKTY. 


Sayi  the  colonel, '  Where  do  yon  lodge  to-night  7*  *  At  the  month  of  Schenevu  creek,' 
wu  the  reply.  Then  shaking  hands  with  them,  he  bid  them  good  qieed,  and  proceeded 
on  hki  journey. 

"  He  had  gone  but  a  little  way  flrom  them  before  he  took  a  circuit  through  the  woodi,  a 
distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  on  to  the  head  of  Charlotte  river,  where  were  a  number  of 
men  making  sugar ;  ordered  them  to  take  their  amra,  two  days'  provisions,  a  canteen  of 
rum,  and  a  rope,  and  meet  him  down  the  Charlotte,  at  a  small  clearing  called  Evans's  place, 
at  a  certain  hour  that  alemoon  ;  then  rode  with  all  speed  through  the  woods  to  Harpers- 
field  ;  collected  alt  the  men  who  were  there  making  sugar,  and  being  armed  and  victualled, 
each  man  with  his  rope  laid  his  course  for  Charlotte ;  when  he  arrived  at  Evans's  place,  ha 
found  the  Charlotte  men  there,  in  eood  spirits ;  and  when  he  mustered  his  men,  thiere  Were 
fifteen,  mcluding  himself,  exactly  the  samr>  number  as  there  were  of  the  enemy ;  then  the 
colonel  made  bis  men  acquainted  with  his  enterprise. 

"  They  marched  down  the  river  a  little  distance,  and  then  bent  their  course  across  the 
hill  to  the  mouth  of  Schenevas  creek ;  when  they  arrived  at  the  brow  of  the  hill  where 
they  could  overlook  the  valley  where  the  Schenevas  flows,  they  cast  their  eyes  down  upon 
the  flat,  and  discovered  the  fire  around  which  the  enemy  lay  encamped.  '  There  they 
are,'  said  Col.  Harper.  They  descended  with  great  stillness,  forded  the  creek,  which  was 
breast-high  to  a  man ;  after  advancing  a  few  hundred  yards,  they  took  some  refreshment, 
and  then  prepared  for  the  contest.  Daylight  was  just  beginning  to  appear  in  the  east. 
When  they  came  to  the  enemy,  they  lay  m  a  circle  with  their  feet  towards  the  fire,  in  a 
deep  sleep ;  their  arms  and  all  their  hnplements  of  death,  were  all  stacked  up  according  to 
the  Indian  custom  when  they  lay  themselves  down  for  the  night :  these  the  colonel  se- 
cured  by  carrying  them  ofi*  a  distance,  and  laying  them  down ;  then  each  man  taking  hia 
rope  in  hia  hand,  placed  himself  by  his  fellow ;  the  colonel  rapped  his  man  softly,  and  said, 
'  Come,  it  is  time  for  men  of  business  to  be  on  their  way ;'  and  then  each  one  sprang  upoii 
his  man,  and  after  n  most  severe  struggle  they  secured  the  whole  of  the  enemy. 

"  After  they  were  all  safely  bound,  and  the  morring  had  so  (at  advanced  that  they  ooald 
discover  objects  distinctly,  says  the  Indian  Peter, '  Ha !  Col.  Harper !  now  I  know  thee — 
why  did  I  not  know  thee  yesterday  V  '  Some  policy  in  war,  Peter.'  '  Ah,  me  find  em 
so  now.'  The  colonel  marched  the  men  to  Albany,  delivered  them  up  to  the  conunanding 
officer,  and  by  this  bold  and  well-executed  feat  of  valor  he  saved  the  whole  Scotch  settle- 
ment from  a  wanton  destruction. 

"  Early  in  the  spring  of  1 780,  a  party  of  tories  and  Indians,  under  the  command  of  Brant, 
destroyed  Harpersfield.  The  inhabitants  had  generally  left  the  place ;  but  a  few  of  the 
men  were  at  the  time  engaged  in  making  maple  sugar.  Nineteen  were  taken  prisoners, 
and  several  killed.  A  consultation  was  held  in  the  Indian  language  in  presence  of  the 
prisoners  relative  to  a  contemplated  attack  upon  the  upper  fort,  in  Schoharie ;  the  Indians, 
satisfied  with  the  booty  and  prisoners  already  obtained,  were  unwiKiiig  to  risk  any  thing 
in  an  uncertam  expedition  ;  some  of  the  tories  represented  the  plan  as  promisiiig  success, 
and  advised  the  Indians  to  kill  the  prisoners,  that  they  might  not  be  encumbered  with  them. 
Brant  came  up  to  Capt  Alexander  Harper,  one  of  the  prisoners,  and  drawing  hia  sword, 
asked  him  if  there  were  any  troops  m  the  fort :  saying  his  life  should  be  taken  if  he  did 
not  inform  him  correctly.  Harper  knew  enoufrh  of  the  Indian  language  to  hare  leanied 
the  subject  of  the  foregoing  conversation,  and  immediately  answered  that  it  wu  well  gar- 
risoned, believing  that  they  would  all  be  killed  should  he  answer  differently.  Another  pris- 
oner, not  knowing  the  determination  of  the  Indians,  and  fearing  their  vengeance  should  the 
falsehood  be  detected,  stated  truly  that  there  were  few  if  any  troops  in  the  fcnt.  Harper 
insisted  that  his  statement  was  true  ;  he  was  believed,  and  they  returned  to  Niagara.  'Tha 
last  night  of  their  journey  they  encamped  a  short  distance  from  the  fort  In  the  morning 
the  prisoners  were  to  i;un  the  gauntlet  Harper,  knowmg  the  hostility  of  the  Indians  to- 
wards him,  and  fearing  they  might  take  his  life,  requested  Brant  to  interfere  and  protect 
him,  which  he  promised  to  do.  The  Indians  arranged  themaelves  in  two  parallel  lines, 
facing  inward,  with  clubs  and  whifts  in  their  hands. 

"  Harper  was  selected  first ;  he  was  a  tall,  athletic  man,  and  on  the  finrt  signal  sprang 
from  the  mark  with  extraordinary  swiftness.  An  Indian  near  the  end  of  the  line,  fearing 
he  might  escape  with  little  injury,  stepped  before  him ;  Harper  struck  him  a  blow  with  his  fist, 
and  then  springing  over  him,  ran  towards  the  fort ;  the  Indians,  enraged,  broke  their  ranka 
and  followed  lum.  The  garrison,  who  had  been  apprized  of  the  movements  of  the  Indians, 
were  upon  the  walls  when  they  saw  Harper  approaching ;  they  threw  open  the  gate,  and 
he  rushed  in,  when  they  immediately  closed  it.  It  was  with  difficulty  they  could  keep 
the  Indians  back.  The  other  prisoners  took  different  eouraes,  and  got  into  the  fort  without 
passing  through  this,  if  not  fiery,  yet  bk>ody  ordeaL" 


M 


nUTCRXSS   COUNTT. 


DUTCHESS  COUNTY. 

Dotchbbs  county  was  organized  in  1683.  It  is  on  the  E.  side  of 
the  Hudson  mer,  75  mUes  S.  of  Albany,  and  74  N.  of  New  York. 
Greatest  length  N.  and  S.  38,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  26  miles. 
11118  county  18  one  of  the  most  opulent  in  the  state,  though  its  area 
has  been  reduced  by  the  erection  of  the  small  county  of  Putnam  from 
Its  southern  end.  Along  the  eastern  border  towns  there  are  ranees 
of  hills  caUed  the  Fishkifl  or  Matteawan  mountains.    Along  the  west- 

Wll-     T/f  ^^T'  ^hVl^""^  ?!  ^"®^  '"*°  "d««»  •^nd  valleys, 
knolls  and  dales,  fancifully  diversified,  producing  a  great  varielv  of 
position,  of  soil  and  aspect,  and  a  multitude  of  brooks  and  springs. 
In  the  southeiTi  part  are  some  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Higflands. 
That  called  the  Old  Beacon,  two  miles  from  Matteawan  village,  and 
toree  from  FisnkiU  Landing,  raises  its  crest  1,471  feet,  and  the  New 
Beacon,  or  Grand  Sachem,  half  a  mile  southward,  towers  1,685  above 
tiae.     Iheir  nanies  are  derived  from  the  Beacons  placed  on  their 
summits  durmff  the  revolution.    From  the  top  of  the  latter,  the  view 
on  the  b.  embraces  the  country  upon  the  Hudson,  for  25  miles  to 
Tappaji  bay ;  on  the  SE.  includes  Long  Island  and  the  Sound  ;  and 
upon  the  SSh.  and  W.  comprehends  in  the  diameter  of  a  circle,  50 
miles  in  extent,  scenery  of  every  diversity,  blending  the  beauties  of 
cultivation  with  the  stern  and  unchangeable  features  of  nature.    The 
onnciMl  streams  are  the  Hudson  river  on  its  western  boundary,  Ten 
Mile,  FishkiU,  and  Wappinger's  creeks.    As  a  whole,  the  county  is 
highly  fertile,  producing  abundantly  wheat,  rye,  com,  oats,  and  irrass 
and  an  immense  amount  of  produce  is  annually  exported  to  New  York' 
This  county  is  divided  into  18  towns,  viz.  : 

Amenia,  Hyd^  Park,         Pine  Plains,         Stanford, 


Beekman, 
Clinton, 
Dover, 
Fishkin, 


La  Grange, 
Milan, 
Northeast, 
Pawlings, 


Pleasant  Valley,  Union  Vale, 
Pouffhkeepsie,  Washington. 
Redhook, 
Rhinebeck, 


V,o?nT^!5P?®  "^f  organized  in   1788:    its  name  is  said  to  have 
been  demed  from  the  Indian  word  Apokeepsing,  signifying  safe  har- 

bJ^icn  h„t  S?  ""^  '^'  r"!^  ^^^■"^u*'^"  Hulson  river  if  somewhat 
10  SSfi  tL  •ii«*"^'?^T.'"'^lf  "  >"*  moderately  uneven.  Pop. 
i?hTn*t,«i  ?  ""'"^^  °i  Poughkeepsie,  one  of  the  most  thriving  an^d 
n„^rfll?  *''^'  "*  ^^  '^?'  "^^J^^^  founded  by  a  number  of 
Dutch  fa,milies  somewhere  about  the  year  1700.  Beinij  situated 
about  half  way  between  New  York  ani  Albany,  it  occasfonally  be- 
Th^cllT}?  P^"?^l°^  't«  ^i«?7'  the  place  of  legislative  deliberations. 
The  convenuon  which  met  to  defiberate  on  the  I'ederal  Constitution, 
and  voted  for  its  adoption,  met  in  this  place  in  1788.  TJie  annexed 
engraving,  taken  from  one  published  in^^the  Family  Magazine.  D?c 
1838,  IS  a  representauon  of  the  first  house  erected  in  this  place     It 


of 


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18 


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I\ 


DVTCKISI  COUNTY. 


Van  Kleek  House. 

was  built  in  the  year  1702,  by  Myndert  Van  Kleek,  one  of  the  earliem 
settlers  of  Dutchess  county.  The  house  and  grounds  attached  are 
still  in  possession  of  his  descendants.  It  belonged  to  Matthew  Vas- 
Mr,  Esq.,  in  1835,|>he  year  in  which  this  house  was  demolished. 
The  distant  building  seen  on  the  left,  is  that  of  the  old  brewery :  this 
ancient  edifice  exhibited  its  port-holes,  a  feature  so  common  in  the 
buildings  of  the  early  settlers,  they  being  necessary  for  defence  against 
the  original  possessors  of  the  soil.  In  1787,  this  building,  then  a 
public  house  of  some  note,  was  used  as  a  stadt-house  ;  the  eleventh 
session  of  the  legislature  of  tliis  state  was  held  therein.  George 
Clinton  was  then  governor  of  the  state,  and  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt, 
afterward  mayor  of  New  York,  lieutenant-governor. 

Poughkeepsie   is  by  the  river,  70  miles  from  Albany,  75  from 
New  York,  18  from  Kingston,  14  from  Newburg,  and  42  from  Hud- 

Ison.  Population  of  the  village  in  1840,  was  7,710.  The  central  part 
of  the  village  is  nearly  a  mile  from  the  landing  place  on  the  Hudson, 
standing  on  an  elevated  plain  about  200  feet  from  the  river.  Several 
roads  conveniently  graded,  and  the  principal  one  paved,  lead  from 
the  shore  to  the  plain  above,  which,  on  the  north,  is  overlooked  by  a 
beautiful  slate  hill,  .from  which  is  a  commanding  prospect  of  the  adja- 
cent country.  The  Fail  creek  or  kill  meanders  through  the  plain  on 
which  the  village  is  built,  and  finally  passes  into  the  Hudson  by  a 
succession  of  cataracts  and  cascades,  which  together  fall  more  tnan 
160  feet,  affording  water-power  for  a  number  of  mills  and  factories. 
There  are  13  churches,  viz. :  1  Dutch  Reformed,  2  Episcopal,  2  Meth- 
odist, 2  Friend,  1  Baptist,  1  Catholic,  1  Congregational,  1  Presbyte- 
rian, 1  Universalist,  and  1  African.  There  are  3  banks,  5  newspaper 
offices,  and  a  variety  of  manutacturing  establishments.  Within  the 
limits  of  the  village  are  12  male  and  female  schools,  all  of  which  are 
of  a  superior  order.     Pop.  in  1850,  1 3,044, 


j^' 


jjfl^wl^" 


'■-i 


1 


OVTCRMI  COVNTT. 


Poughkeepsie  CoUegiate  School. 


<inh^\  I*j'"  •  wpresentaUon  of  the   Poughkeepiie   CoUeffiate 

School  erected  on  the  .umrnit  of  an  elerated  hSl  about  .  mSe  from 

i?il„^  "'S'-  '"^  *"^^  '  .™''*  northward  from  the  bu.ine..  pZ  of  tlS 

f.  ITk  iTn'r  "*^^*""*  "  "'«^«lJ«i  •<■»«'  «he  Parthenon  at  f  Sfens  and 

3?  fee^t     It  coJ"  "T  "''";T  ^^^^'^  ^°^°""'»d«  •  incline  77  by 
larl     tV    •    ?°''^  "*^'""ve  of  the  ground,  about  forty  thousand  dof 

IMfi  JJl!  T""''°"  ^"  ^'"'^  ^'^^  ^«  '«<=«Ption  of  pupils Tnov 
1836,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Charles  Bartlelt,  ass  8ted  bv 

pt  theTcond  '^"\r.H-^'i"/  **^^.«r  *"""•  there  wrtop7 
Etn-»i«    •   *    ?  '  ^  V/^*  ^^•'^'  ^^ *  a"^^  the  fourth  term,  108      "Its 

wrfS  nf  i  K      riTf  T'y  ^^"«^y  °^  ^««ture  necessary  to  tbf 
pertecuon  of  a  beautiful  landscape.    From  the  colonnade,  which  en 

?e«fv'fiJL°""^"  "'  "^^  r  °^  ti'e  spectator  can  compass  a  dSt  of 
JnalS?^.™^"^  **"u*''°  «°"*h'  «t  «  d'«tan'=«  of  twentt  miles  the 
Kighlaadg  tenninate  the  view,  within  which  an  apparent  plain  sketches 

LvSiXeTlLZ'  ''«''y  ^"'^'^^\^  ^-'"^  -^^  Sirsiont  and 

The  Dutchess  County  Academy  was  erected  in  1836.  in  the  souCit 

of  Poujhkeepsie.    It  waB  foundfd  in  im.hTSi^'dt?^  j 
I-o,».3,  .bout  which  toe  U.e  M«U=^rLw  ^7^. 


V  ■»!■  OOUMTY.  fijr 

There  are  here  ■ereral  large  cotton  mills,  and  factories  of  various  de- 
■criptioM.  There  are  about  2,000  perMni  connected  with  and  em- 
ployed  in  the  works.  There  are  many  neat  dwellings,  and  two  beau- 
tiful churches,  one  Presbyterian  and  one  Episcopalian,  at  whose 
sabbath  schools  250  children  attend.  No  intoxicating  liquors  are  per- 
mitted to  be  sold,  and  almost  the  whole  population  have  pledged 
themselves  to  abstain  from  their  use.  "  The  deep  valley,  with  its  cas- 
cades and  rapids ;  the  village,  with  its  neat  white  dwellings,  magnifi- 
cent factories,  and  ornamental  churches,  overhung  by  the  stupendous 
mountam,  render  this  one  of  the  most  beautiful  scenes  in  the  state, 
where  enlightened,  cheerful,  and  persevering  industry  is  reaping  its 
due  reward.  It  attracts  much  attention,  and  is  greatly  resorted  to  in 
the  summer  season." 

Glenham,  Franklinville,  and  Rocky  Glen,  are  small  manufacturing 
villages.  Fishkill  villace,  on  the  creek,  6  miles  from  the  Hudson 
nver,  and  16  from  Poughkeepsie,  is  situated  upon  a  beautiful  plain,  in 
a  fertile  country,  and  has  about  eighty  dwellings,  an  academy,  one 
Episcopal,  and  one  Dutch  church.  A  portion  of  the  American  army 
were  located  here  in  the  revolutionary  war.  Their  barrack*  were 
about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  village.  Pleasant  Valley,  7  miles  NE. 
from  Poughkeepsie,  is  a  manufacturing  village  on  Wappinger's  creek 
of  about  100  dwellings  and  4  churches.  Hyde  Park  village  and  land- 
ing, about  7  miles  N.  of  Poughkeepsie,  has  about  80  dwellings  and  8 
churches.  The  seat  of  the  late  Dr.  Hosack  is  in  this  place.  The  vil- 
lage of  Rhinebeck  Flats,  about  9  miles  from  New  York,  2  mUes  from 
the  landing,  contains  upwards  of  100  dwellings,  3  churches,  and  an 
academy. 


ERIE  COUNTY. 

Erie  county  was  taken  from  Niagara  county  in  1821.  Greatest 
length  N.  and  S.  44,  and  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  30  miles.  Cen- 
trally distant  from  New  York  357,  from  Albany  W.,  298  miles.  Lake 
Erie  and  the  Niagara  river  form  its  western  boundary,  the  Tonawauta 
creek  its  northern,  and  the  Cattaraugus  its  southern.  The  many 
streams  which  enter  into  Lake  Erie  furnish  fine  mill  sites.  The  Erie 
canal  enters  the  Tonawanta  creek  on  the  northern  border ;  from  which 
a  towing  path  has  been  constructed  along  the  bank  of  the  creek,  which 
IS  used  as  a  canal  12  miles  to  the  Tonawanda  village,  a  short  distance 
above  its  junction  with  Niagara  river,  near  Grand  Island.  A  railroad 
connects  Buffalo  with  the  village  at  Niagara  Falls,  and  one  with  the 
Black  Rock  ferry.  The  surface  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  is 
level  or  gently  undulating ;  the  southern  is  more  diversified,  but  no 
part  is  hilly.  Generally  the  soil  is  good ;  consisting  in  the  northern 
half,  of  warm,  sandy,  and  gravelly  loam,  occasionally  mixed  with 
clay,  and  adapted  to  wheat ;  in  the  southern,  clay  prevails,  and  is  nro- 


<n»i  wi  w  mmf  m  v'm 


88 


ERIB  COUNTY. 


ductive  of  grass.  Both  portions  yield  excellent  and  various  fruits. 
About  one  third  of  the  land  is  under  improvement  The  whole  county 
was  within  the  Holland  Land  Company's  purchase,  excepting  a  strip 
a  mile  wide  on  the  Niagara  river.    The  county  has  21  towns, 

Alden,  Buffalo  City,  Eden,  Sardinia, 

Amherst,  Chictawaga,  Evans,  Tonawanda, 

Aurora,  Clarence,  Hamburgh,  Wales. 

Black  Rock^  Colden,  Holland, 


Boston, 
Brandt, 


Collins, 
Concord, 


Lancaster, 
Newstead, 


Buffalo  city  is  situated  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Erie,  at  the  head  of 
Niagara  river,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Buffalo  creek,  and  at  the  western 
extremity  of  the  Erie  canal ;  Lat.  42°  63'  N.,  long.  2°  west  from 
Washington.  Distant  from  Albany  by  the  great  western  road  298 
m'l  '  -  the  Erie  canal,  364 ;  from  New  York,  by  Albany  and 
Ut  ^ ;  by  Morristown,  N.  J.,  Owego,  and  Ithaca,  357 ;  from 

Rov.  ,  73  ;  from  Niagara  Falls,  22 ;  from  Erie,  Penn.,  90 ;  from 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  103 ;  from  Detroit,  Mich.,  290;  from  Toronto,  U. 
C.,  72 ;  from  Montreal,  L.  C,  427 ;  and  from  Washington  City,  376 
miles.  Buffalo  is  the  port  of  entry  for  the  Niagara  district,  including 
Silver  Creek,  Dunkirk,  and  Portland,  and  all  above  the  falls.  It  is 
an  entrepot  for  the  great  and  growing  trade  between  New  York  and  a 
large  portion  of  U{)per  Canada  and  the  great  west. 

Buffalo  was  originally  laid  out  in  1801,  by  the  Holland  Land  Com- 
pany, on  a  bluff  or  terrace  rising  50  feet  above  the  water,  and  partly 
on  the  low  and  marshy  ground  extending  from  the  terrace  to  the  creek 
and  lake.  This  marsh  has  been  drained,  and  a  large  portion  of  the 
business  part  of  the  city  lies  upon  it.  The  Erie  canal  from  Tone- 
wanda  viUage  is  continued  along  the  margin  of  Niagara  river  and  the 
shore  of  the  lake  to  the  city.  A  mole  or  pier  of  wood  and  stone, 
1,500  feet  long,  extends  from  the  south  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  creek, 
formii^  a  partial  breakwater  to  protect  the  shipping  from  the  gales 
which  are  felt  here.  I  or  the  better  accommodation  of  trade,  a  ship 
canal,  80  feet  wide  and  13  deep,  was  completed  in  1833,  ccross  the 
harbor  noar  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  a  distance  of  700  yards.  A 
lighthouse  built  of  limestone  stands  on  the  end  of  the  pier,  46  feet  in 
height. 

From  the  time  of  the  foundation  of  this  place  to  1812,  it  increased 
slowly.  In  that  year  it  became  a  military  post,  and  in  Der,ember, 
1813,  every  building  in  it  was  burnt  save  two,  by  the  British  and  In- 
dians. Many  of  the  inhabitants  were  taken  prisoners  to  Montreal. 
The  place  was  soon  rebuilt,  and  by  1817,  it  contained  100  houses, 
some  of  which  were  large  and  elegant.  It  was  incorporated  as  a 
village  in  1822,  and,  in  1823,  had  me  courthouse  and  jail,  and  up- 
wards of  300  buildings.  It  had  than  felt  in  advance  the  influence  of 
the  Erie  canal,  and  much  improvement  was  made  in  anticipation  of 

th«*  mmplotinn  nf  that  nroat  iwnrlr         In   1  fiOQ    it    ItnA    AfUX  l.A..aoa     -"^A 

more  than  2,000  inhabitants.    It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1832, 


f 

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ERU  OOVKTY. 


89 


and  contains  at  this  time  about  4,000  houses,  and  42,360  inhabitants. 
There  are  25  chu|x;hes,  a  literary  and  scientific  academy,  ifteoqporated 
in  1827,  7  banks,  8  newspapers,  and  many  hotels  and  taverns,  required 
for  the  great  concourse  oi  strangers  here.  The  buildings,  public  and 
private,  are  generally  good,  many  of  them  four  stories  high,  among 
which  are  fine  specimens  of  architecture.  An  enterprising  citizen, 
Mr.  Rathbun,  during  the  year  1835,  erected  99  buildings,  at  an  agsre- 
gate  cost  of  about  $500,000 ;  of  these,  52  were  stores  of  the  narst 
class,  32  dwellings,  a  theatre,  &c."  ' 


Distant  view  of  Black  Rock  and  vidmty. 

The  village  of  Black  Rock  is  in  two  divisions,  the  upper  and  lower. 
The  post-office,  which  is  in  the  south  part,  is  8  miles  from  Bufiklo, 
opposite  the  village  of  Waterloo  on  the  Canada  side. 

The  foregoing  is  a  distant  northern  view  of  part  of  the  village  of 
Black  Rock ;  the  Canada  side,  on  which  is  the  village  of  Waterloo, 
is  seen  on  the  right,  and  Lake  Erie  in  the  extreme  distance.  A  fernr 
boat  plies  between  Waterloo  and  the  south  part  of  Black  Rdck  vil- 
lage. Niagara  river  at  this  point  is  three  fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  20 
feet  deep,  and  runs  with  a  current  of  6  miles  an  hour.  The  harbor 
of  Black  Rock  is  4,565  yards  long  from  N.  to  S.,  and  from  88  to  220 
yards  broad,  containing  an  area  of  136  acres.  It  begins  in  ^  lake 
opposite  Buffalo,  at  Bird  island,  and  is  continued,  by  a  mole  of  double 
wooden  cribs  filled  in  with  stone,  18  feet  wide  aiMl  2,915  yards  long, 
to  S(}uaw  island,  and  is  raised  from  1  to  4  feet  above  the  surface  of 
the  nver,  rising  gradually  towards  the  north.  A  dam  at  the  end  of 
Squaw  island,  connecting  it  with  the  main  land,  raises  the  water  about 
4^  feet  to  the  level  of  the  lake.  The  average  depth  of  the  water  in 
this  harbor  is  15  feet.  By  means  of  the  dam,  great  water-power  is 
obtained,  and  mills  of  various  kinds  are  established  at  the  lower  vil- 
lage. The  village  of  Black  Rock  contains  about  35a  dwellings,  and 
2,000  inhabitants. 

Black  Rock,  in  common  with  other  places  on  the  Niagara  fron- 
tier, was  ravaged  and  burnt  by  the  enemy  in  December,  1813.  On 
the  11th  of  July  previous,  the  British  made  an  attack  on  the  place. 
The  following  particulars  of  this  event  are  compiled  from  the  Bufialo 
Gazette. 


12 


90 


ERIE   COUNTY. 


I 


"  The  BritMi  troops  which  eroaned  orer  at  Black  Rock  on  the  10th  inst.  were  oomiiiaiided 
hy  Cola  Bwhop  and  Warren.  They  oroMed  the  Niagara  below  Squaw  bland,  and  matched 
m  ahqare  the  navy  yard  before  any  alarm  waa  given.  The  detached  militia  being  lurpiiied, 
iMreated  up  the  beach,  and  left  the  enemy  in  quiet  poaMaeion  of  the  village,  who  proceeded 
to  burn  the  sailors'  barracks  and  block-houses  at  the  great  battery.  They  then  proceeded 
to  the  batteries,  dismounted  and  qiiked  three  IS  pounders,  aud  took  away  3  field-pieces 
and  oue  12  pounder ;  they  took  from  a  storehouse  a  quantity  of  tirhiskey,  salt,  flour,  pork, 
«o.,  which,  with  four  citiiens,  they  took  across  the  river.  At  the  first  moment  of  the  alarm, 
Gen.  Porter  left  Black  Rock  for  Bufialo,  at  which  place  he  assembled  a  body  of  volunteen 
and  a  few  regulars,  which,  with  100  militia  and  25  Indians,  formed  a  junction  about  a  mile 
from  the  enemy.  After  being  formed  with  the  militia  and  Indians  on  the  flanks  and  the 
volunteers  and  the  regulars  m  the  centre,  they  attacked,  and  the  enemy,  after  a  contest  of 
20  minutes,  retreated  in  the  utmost  conf^on  to  the  beach,  embarked  in  several  of  our 
boots,  and  pulled  for  the  opposite  shore ;  all  the  boats  got  off  without  injury,  except  the  last, 
which  suffered  severely  flwm  our  fire,  and  from  appearance,  nearly  all  the  men  in  her  were 
killed  or  wounded.  The  British  lost  8  killed  on  the  field,  besides  thoee  killed  and  wounded 
m  the  boats.  We  took  15  prisoners,  who  wero  sent  to  Batavia.  Capt.  Saunders,  of  the 
British  49th,  was  wounded  while  stepping  into  his  boat ;  he  was  conveyed  to  Gen.  Porter's 
house.  He  states  that  Col.  Bishop  was  badly  wounded  and  carried  into  the  boat,  and  says 
also,  that  several  kUled  and  wounded  were  carried  into  the  boats.  On  our  side.  Sergeant 
Hartman,  Jonathan  Thompson,  and  Joseph  Wright  were  killed,  and  5  wounded,  9  of  whom 
were  Indiana.  The  Indians  behaved  well  and  committed  no  act  of  cruelty.  They  fouirht 
because  they  were  fWendly  to  the  United  States,  and  because  their  own  possessions,  which 
are  very  valuable,  were  in  danger  of  invasion.  They  are  opposed  to  cnssiug  the  river 
to  fight,  but  are  ready  to  meet  the  enemy  at  the  threshcdd  in  defence  of  the  country  which 
protects  them.  M^.  Kmg  was  at  Black  Rock  overnight,  and  was  present  and  assisted  in 
the  acUon.  Two  hundred  regulars  have  arrived  fh>m  Erie  at  Black  Rock,  where  they  are 
to  be  stationed." 

Fort  Erie,  about  a  mile  S.  from  the  ferry  at  Waterloo  on  the  Can- 
ada side,  was  a  post  of  much  importance  during  the  last  war.  After 
the  battle  at  Niagara,  the  Americans  f  11  back  to  Fort  Erie,  of  which 
they  had  previously  taken  possession.  This  fortress  is  situated  on 
the  margin  of  the  lake,  at  its  outlet  into  the  Niagara  river;  being 
nearly  a  horizontal  plain  15  feet  above  the' level  of  the  water,  it  pos- 
sesses no  natural  advantages.  On  the  13th  of  Aug.  1814,  the  British 
troops,  having  invested  the  fort,  opened  a  brisk  cannonade,  which  was 
returned  from  the  American  batteries.  At  sunset  on  the  14th,  one 
of  their  shells  lodged  in  a  small  magazine,  wWch  blew  up  without  any 
injurious  effects.  The  following  account  of  the  assault  which  took 
place  a  few  hours  afterward,  is  taken  from  "Perkins'  History  of  the 
Late  Wm ."  "  '' 

"Gen.  Gaines,  expeotmg  an  assault  in  the  course  of  the  night,  kept  his  men  constantly 
at  their  posts.  The  night  was  dark,  and  the  early  part  of  it  rainy ;  at  2  o'clock  in  the 
mommg,  the  British  columns,  enveloped  in  darkness,  were  distinctly  heard  approaching  the 
American  lines.  The  infantry  under  Maj.  Wood,  and  Capt.  Towson's  artillery,  owned 
a  brisk  fire  upon  them.  The  sheet  of  fire  from  this  corps,  enabled  Gen.  Gaines  to  discover 
this  column  of  the  British,  1,500  strong,  approaching  the  American  left.  The  infantry  were 
protected  by  a  line  of  loose  brush  representing  an  abattis  bordering  on  the  river.  The 
British,  in  attempting  to  pass  round  this,  plunged  into  the  water  breast  high.  The  com- 
manding general  was  about  to  order  a  detachment  of  riflemen  to  support  Maj.  Wood,  but 
was  assured  by  him  that  he  could  maintain  his  position  without  a  reinforcement.  The 
British  columns  were  twice  repulsed,  and  soon  afterward  fled  in  confusion.  On  the  right 
the  lines  were  lighted  by  a  brilliant  discharge  of  musketry  aud  cannon,  which  announced 
the  approach  of  the  centre  and  left  columns  of  the  enemy.  The  latter  met  the  veteran  9th 
regiment,  and  Burton's  and  Harding's  companies  of  volunteerd,  aided  by  a  6  pounder  and 
were  repulsed.  The  centre  column,  under  Col.  Drummond,  approached  at  the  same  time 
the  most  assailable  points  of  the  fort,  and  with  scaling  ladders  ascended  the  parapet  but 
were  driven  back  with  great  carnage.  The  assault  was  twice  repeated,  and  as  often  check- 
M ;  thin  cdiunn.  concealed  bv  the  darkness  of  th*  ni»ht  >•»)  «h>  <.!»...).  ^t  ._.i u.-u 


BRIK  COUNTY. 


91 


rolled  from  the  oaanon  and  mndcetry,  then  p— ed  vonad  the  diteh,  imNMtad  their  chaiye, 
.  reaacended  their  ladden,  and  with  theb  pikea,  bayoneta,  and  apeara,  foil  upon  the  artOleriata. 
Moat  of  the  c^oera,  and  many  of  the  men,  reoeived  deadly  wounda.  Lient  McDomnigh 
being  severely  wounded,  and  in  the  power  of  the  enemy,  aurrendered  and  demanded  quar- 
ter ;  Col.  Drummond,  refusing  it,  draw  a  pistol  and  shot  him  dead.  In  a  moment  after- 
ward, as  he  waa  repeating  the  order  to  give  no  quarteis.  Col.  Dnmmond  waa  shot  throuj^h 
the  heart  The  baation  waa  now  in  the  possession  of  the  British.  The  battle  raged  with 
increased  fiiry  on  the  right ;  reinforcements  were  ordered  and  promptly  fumiahed  fmm  Maj. 
Wood's  corps  on  the  left.  Capt  Fanning  kept  up  a  spirited  and  destructive  fire  from  his 
artillery  on  the  enemy  aa  they  wore  approaching  the  fort  Maja.  Hindman  and  Trimble, 
failing  to  drive  the  Britiah  from  the  bastion,  with  the  remaining  artillerists  und  infantry, 
and  Capt  Birdsall's  detachment  of  riflemen,  rushed  in  through  the  gateway,  to  the  assist- 
ance of  the  right  wing,  and  made  a  resolute  charge.  A  detachment,  under  Maj.  Hall,  waa 
introduced  over  the  interior  of  the  bastion,  for  the  purpose  of  oharnng  the  Britiah,  who  still 
held  possession,  but  the  narrowness  of  the  passage,  admitting  only  2  or  3  abreast,  prevented 
its  accomplishment,  and  they  were  obliged  to  retire.  At  this  moment,  every  operation  was 
arreated  by  the  explosion  of  the  principal  magazme,  containing  a  large  quantity  of  cartridgea 
and  powder,  in  the  end  of  a  stone  building  adjoining  the  contested  bastion.  Whether  this 
waa  the  eflfect  of  accident  or  design,  waa  not  known.  The  exploaion  waa  tremendoua,  and 
ita  efibcts  decisive.  The  Britiah  in  possession  of  the  bastion  were  destroyed  in  a  moment 
Aa  soon  as  the  tumult  ocoaaioned  by  that  event  had  subsided,  Ca^  Biddle  posted  a  field- 
piece  ao  aa  to  enfilade  the  exterior  plain,  and  the  salient  glacia.  Fanning'a  battery  at  the 
same  time  opened  on  the  British  who  were  now  returning.  In  a  few  minutea  they  were  all 
driven  from  the  works,  leaving  S23  killed,  174  wounded  on  the  field,  and  186  priaoneis. 
To  theae  loares  are  to  be  added  those  killed  on  the  left  flank  by  Maj.  Wood'a  infantry  and 
Towson's  artillery,  and  floated  down  the  Niagara,  estimated  in  the  official  reports  at  200. 
The  American  loss  during  the  bombardment  of  the  13th  end  14th,  waa  9  killed,  and  36 
wounded,  and  in  the  assault  of  the  night  of  the  14th,  17  killed,  56  wounded,  and  11  miasmg." 

The  British  troops  still  continuing  their  investment  of  Fort  Erie, 
on  the  17th  of  September  a  part  of  the  American  garrison  made  a 
sortie,  and  took  the  British  works  about  500  yards  in  front  of  their 
line.  The  British  had  two  batteries  on  their  left,  which  annoyed  the 
fort,  and  were  about  opening  a  third.  Their  camp  was  about  Q  miles 
distant,  sheltered  by  a  wood ;  their  works  were  garrisoned  with  one 
third  of  their  infantry,  from  1,200  to  1,500  men,  and  a  detachment  of 
artillery. 


<<  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  General  Porter,  with  a  large  detachment,  was  order- 
ed to  penetrate  throng  Sie  woods  by  a  circuitous  route,  and  get  between  the  British  main 
body  and  their  battenea ;  while  Greneral  Miller  waa  directed  to  take  a  position  in  the  ravine, 
between  the  American  Imes  and  the  batteriea,  and  attack  them  in  front  The  advance  of 
Gen.  Porter's  command  consisted  of  two  hundred  riflemen,  under  Colonel  Gibson.  The 
rijrht  column,  of  400  infantry,  commanded  by  Col.  Wood ;  the  left,  under  Gen.  D^via,  of 
500  militia,  deaigned  to  act  as  a  reserve,  and  to  hold  in  check  any  reinforcementa  firom 
the  British  main  body.  Gen.  Porter's  corps  carried  the  blockhouse  in  the  rear  of  the  third 
battery  by  storm,  the  magazine  was  blown  up,  and  the  garrison  made  prisoners.  Tlie 
leaden  of  the  3  divisions  under  Gen.  Porter,  all  fell  nearly  at  the  same  time ;  Col.  Gib- 
son, at  the  head  of  the  riflemen,  at  the  second  battery,  and  Gen,  Davis  and  C(rf.  Wood  m 
an  aseault  upon  the  first  While  these  transactions  were  taUng  place  in  the  rear  of  the 
enemy'a  works.  General  Miller  in  front  penetrated  bettifeui  the  mat  and  aecond  batteries, 
and,  aided  by  the  operationa  of  Gen.  Porter  in  the  rear,  anoceeded  in  carrying  them.  With- 
in 30  minutes  from  the  commencement  of  the  aotkm,  3  batteries,  2  blockhouses,  and  the 
whole  line  of  intranchments  were  in  possession  of  the  Americans ;  and  immediately  after- 
ward, the  other  battery  was  abandoned  by  the  British.  Gen.  Ripley  was  now  ordered  up 
with  the  reserve,  and  at  the  dose  of  the  aoti<m,  wan  J-iugeroualy  wounded  in  the  neck. 
Strong  reinforcementa  from  the  British  mam  body  r:  *'  <a  v/hile  the  Americans  were  en- 
gaged in  destroying  the  works,  and  took  part  in  the  a  The  obJ9ct  of  the  sortie  being 
fully  accomplished,  the  American  itoopt  were  ordered  to  return  to  the  fort.  During  the 
action,  (Sen.  Porter,  in  passing  from  the  right  to  the  left  column  of  his  detachment,  accom- 
panied with  only  9  or  3  officers,  ■uddanly  fonnd  himself  within  a  few  yard"  of  a  bcdv  of 
60  Britiah  addien,  who  had  jiHt  nangti  from  a  ravhie,  and  were  faiesitatuig  which  wa>  :  > 


'^iws^E?;?'  i?;"f  iiYSi^jiS 


92 


ERIK   COUNTY. 


I*  The  gwanl  immediately  advanoed,  and  otderad  them  to  nurander ;  appraaohiactlw 
IM  mui  en  the  left,  ha  took  hie  miuket,  and  pnriied  him  towaida  the  American  Ihtea:  in 
Wa  way  he  proceeded  nearly  throuffh  the  whole  company,  moet  of  the  men  voluntarily 
tluowing  down  their  arme,  and  retirini^  (owardi  the  fort:  when  on  a  audden,  a  aoldier, 
*j  mn*et  the  general  waa  aboat  to  aeize,  proMtnted  the  bayonet  to  hie  braut.  and  de- 
manded *w  auRcnder.  Gen.  Porter  aeised  the  mnaket.  and  wa%  about  wrenohinir  it  ih>m 
liun,  when  he  waa  aeized  by  a  Britieh  officer,  and  3  or  4  men  who  stood  in  the  ranks,  and 
thrown  en  the  ground.  He  succeeded  in  gaining  his  feet,  when  he  found  himself  sur- 
rounded  by  15  or  90  men,  with  their  guns  {Hvsented  at  him,  demanding  his  surrender.  By 
tbis  time,  aeveral  American  officers  with  a  number  of  men  were  advancing  to  the  scene 
Of  action.  Gen.  Porter,  now  aasnmuig  an  air  of  composure  and  decMon,  told  them  they 
were  now  sunounded  and  prisoners,  and  if  they  fired  a  gun  they  should  all  be  put  to  the 
wwwd.  By  this  time  a  company  of  Cayuga  riflemen  had  arrived,  and  after  a  momentary 
Mooe  of  ooafurion  and  carnage,  the  whole  British  party  were  killed,  or  made  prisoners." 

TTie  American  loss  was  79  killed,  432  wounded  and  missing.  The 
Biitish  loss,  as  estimated  by  the  American  commander,  was  500  in 
kiUed  and  wounded  :  385  prisoners  were  taken,  and  their  advance 
works  were  destroyed.  On  the  night  of  the  21  st,  Gen.  Drummond, 
after  an  mvestment  of  56  dovs,  broke  up  his  camp,  and  retired  to  his 
intranohments  behind  Chippewa  river. 


House  of  Red  Jacket,  on  the  Buffalo  Reservation. 


The  above  »  the  eastern  view  of  the  cabin  of  the  celebrated  Indian 
^^,  Red  Jacket,  and  the  house  of  Wm.  Jones,  about  four  miles  from 
Bu&lo.  The  cabm  of  Red  Jacket  is  seen  on  the  left,  the  house  of 
Jones,  ^hich  18  a  fair  specimen  of  the  better  sort  of  Indian  houses,  on 
the  nght.  The  Seneca  mission  church  is  about  80  rods  east  fcom 
this  phce.  Red  Jacket  died  Jan.  20Ui,  1832,  and  has  a  monument 
erected  to  his  memoiy  a  few  rods  frtmi  the  church. 

m«??oi!S'«  OM  r  "2  *?.  *2^.  ,Hie  birthplace  to  suppowtd  to  have  been  at  a  place  for- 
S^^^  H-  ^  S"*^  ■•*"* '  ^''*'  ""^  "'  ^•»»'''*'  ^  ^«  ?"*•«»»  «n>i»«  of  the  town 
-L!t!^  •   ^"*1°  »«»"»•  w".  SB^o.yott.wat.ha,  a  word  signifying  one  who  keeps 

Vl^^  °aT  "J*""!""®-  J^"""*  *»»•  rovolution,  the  Senecas  fought  under  the  Britirii 
S^SJL  ^<^°"*  r'f  J""?*^'  ^  "'**'*y  ^  inteUigenoe  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  British  officers.  By  them  he  was  presented  with  a  richly  embroidered  scarlet  jacket. 
1  his  he  wore  on  all  occasions,  and  from  this  circumstance  aroee  the  name  by  which  he  Is 
known  among  the  whites.  Durmg  the  revdutkm  he  took  UtUe  or  no  part  as  a  warrior, 
but  his  penwnal  activity  and  transcendent  talents  won  the  esteem  of  his  tribe.  A  gentle, 
man  who  knew  him  mtunately  for  more  than  30  years,  m  peace  and  in  war,  speaks  of  him 


'SSS^" 


ER»   COUNTY. 


93 


I 


uriM,  and  in  hii  atUohmeiit  to,  fend  Tsaentioii  fbr  the  andent  mMtami  ani  uadMaiw  of 
hia  tribe.  He  had  a  contempt  for  tlie  En(^  language,  and  diedained  to  me  any  other 
than  hk  own.  He  waa  the  fineit  qMcimen  of  the  Indian  character  that  I  ever  knew,  and 
■iwtained  it  with  more  dignity  than  any  other  chief.  He  waa  aeomid  to  none  in  aathority 
in  hia  tribe.  Aa  an  orator  he  waa  unequalled  by  any  Indian  I  ever  aaw.  Hia  language 
waa  beautiful  and  figuratire,  aa  the  Indian  language  always  ia,  and  delivered  witn  the 
greateat  eaae  and  fluency.  Hia  geatioulatioa  waa  eaay,  graeefol,  and  natural.  Hia  voioe 
waa  diatinot  and  clear,  and  he  always  apoke  with  great  animation.  Hia  mennory  waa  very 
atrong.  I  have  acted  aa  hiterpreter  to  moat  of  hia  apeechea,  to  which  no  tranalation  could 
do  adequate  juatioe." 

Th%  following  intereatmg  anecdotea  are  illustrative  of  hia  peculiar  polnta  of  character,  aa 
well  aa  of  his  ready  eloquence.  At  a  council  held  with  the  Senecaa,  a  diapute  aroae  be- 
tween Gov.  Tompkins  and  Red  Jacket,  connected  with  a  treaty  of  some  years  standing. 
The  ^vemor  stated  one  thing,  and  the  Indian  cMef  insisted  that  the  reveiae  was  true. 
But,  It  was  rejoined,  "  you  have  forgotten — we  have  written  it  down  on  paper."  "  Hie 
paper  then  teJIa  a  lie,"  was  the  confident  answer ;  <<  I  have  it  written  here,"  continued  the 
chief,  placing  his  hand  with  great  dignity  upon  his  brow.  "  You  Yankees  are  bom  with  a 
feather  between  your  fingers ;  but  your  paper  does  not  speak  the  truth.  The  Intlian  keepa 
his  knowledge  here — this  is  the  book  the  Great  Spirit  gave  us— it  does  not  lie."  A  refer- 
ence was  immediately  made  to  the  treaty  in  question,  when,  to  the  astonishment  of  all 
present,  and  to  the  triumph  of  the  tawny  statesman,  the  document  confirmed  every  word 
that  he  had  uttered. 

It  happened  during  the  revolution  that  a  treaty  was  held  with  the  Indians,  at  which 
Lafayette  was  present,  the  object  of  which  was  to  unite  the  various  tribes  in  amity  with 
America.  The  majority  of  the  chiefs  were  iriendly,  but  there  waa  much  oppoaition  made 
to  it,  especially  by  a  young  warrior,  who  declared  that  when  an  alliance  waa  entered  into 
with  America,  he  should  consider  that  the  sun  of  his  country  had  set  forever.  In  his  travels 
through  the  Indian  country,  when  last  in  America,  it  happened  at  a  large  assemblage  of 
chiefs,  that  Lafayette  referred  to  the  treaty  in  question,  and  tummg  to  Red  Jacket,  said, 
"  Pray  tell  me,  if  you  can,  what  has  become  of  that  daring  youth  who  so  decidedly  op- 
posed all  propositions  for  peace  and  amity  7"  "  I  myself  am  the  man,"  replied  Red 
Jacket ;  "  the  decided  enemy  of  the  Americans,  so  long  as  the  hope  of  succeaaAdly  op- 
posing them  remained,  but  now  their  true  and  faithful  ally  until  death." 

During  the  late  war,  Red  Jacket  with  his  tribe  enlisted  on  the  American  side.  He 
fought  through  the  whole  war,  and  displayed  the  most  undaunted  intrepidity ;  while  hi  no 
instance  did  he  exhibit  the  ferocity  of  the  savage,  or  dii^^race  himself  by  any  act  of  inhu- 
manity. 

Red  Jacket  waa  the  foe  of  the  white  man.  His  nation  was  his  god ;  her  honor,  preser- 
vation, and  liberty,  his  religion.  He  hated  the  missionary  of  the  cross,  because  he  feared 
some  secret  design  upon  the  lands,  the  p«ace,  or  the  independence  of  the  Senecaa.  He 
never  understood  Christianity.  Its  sublime  disinterestedness  exceeded  his  oonc^itfon*. 
He  vtut  a  keen  observer  of  human  nature ;  and  saw  that  among  white  and  red  men,  sor- 
did interest  was  equally  the  spring  of  action.  He  therefore  naturally  enough  sutpected 
every  stranger  who  came  to  his  tribe,  of  some  design  on  their  Uttle  and  deariy  prized  do- 
mains. His  tribe  was  divided  into  two  factions,  one  of  which,  from  being  in  favor  of  the 
missionaries,  was  called  the  Christian,  and  the  other,  from  their  opposition,  the  pagan 
party.  His  wife,  who  would  attend  the  religious  meetings  of  the  Christian  party,  re- 
ceived much  persecution  from  him  on  this  account  During  his  last  sickness  there  seemed 
to  be  quite  a  change  in  regard  to  his  feelings  respecting  Christianity.  He  repeatedly  re- 
marked to  his  wife,  that  he  was  sorry  that  he  had  persecuted  her, — that  she  was  right 
and  he  wrong,  and,  as  his  dying  advice,  told  her,  "  Persevere  in  your  religion,  it  ia  the 
right  way .'" 

A  few  days  before  his  decease,  he  sent  for  Mr.  Harris,  the  missionary ;  but  he  was  at- 
tending an  ecclesiastical  council,  and  did  not  receive  the  message  until  after  the  death  of 
the  chief.  In  his  last  wandering  moments  it  is  said  that  he  directed  that  a  vial  of  cold 
water  should  be  placed  in  his  coffin,  so  that  he  might  have  something  with  which  to  fight 
the  evil  spirit.  A  considerable  number  of  people  from  Buffalo  attended  his  funeral,  some 
of  whom  wished  him  buried  in  the  ancient  or  pagan  style.  He  was,  however,  interred  in 
the  Christian  manner,  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  his  relatives.  He  left  two  wives, 
but  none  of  his  children  survived  him.  Two  of  his  sons  are  supposed  to  have  died  Chris- 
tians. Rev.  Jabez  B.  Hyde,  a  teacher  to  the  Senecas  before  the  war  of  1812,  states  that 
one  of  the  sons  of  Red  Jacket  was  the  first  convert  to  Christianity  from  this  tribe. 

Fvf  bOuio  mouths  pfevtOuB  io  his  death,  time  had  made  such  ravages  on  his  constiiatiaa 


04 


BKII  C0UM1T. 


Mit^  «.rf  Sli?Z  T^      ^^  •ppTOMhinff  dtaBoloticTi.    To  that  «vent  he  «ft«ii  tj. 

SSnS^Jil"ii£lf''^'l"$?'l!!?~"^»'*^*'»^^^^  "P»n  the  condition  of 
W  ™  ii^JT*  ■*^*"°» .!?"'  '«?««•»•  "«•"'>«•  He  told  them  that  he  wa.  pui. 
«*^  2L*^  '•'■  ««'>^'"  »'«•'«• «»«»  b«  »>«wd  no  more.  He  ran  over  the  hbtorv  ofhi. 
S^tt"tl^J^  "r^ri?^  *»  "^^'^^  '"»^'«^K«  extended!  .„dpoinK.M 
■wrei  oonMltnted  tint  hMoty.  ••  I  am  about  to  eave  you,"  euid  he.  "  and  when  I  am 
^tl^iairr^'  *«•"  no  kmge,  b.  he«tl  or  regarded,  'the  craft  ^nd  the  avarile  0? 

SSrif!^.!?^  '"CL  ""y  '••!••  "t '•"•».  >»y  brauehe.  are  withered,  an*I  am 
iSlt^^^uT*'  ^^'"r  *^  ^"^  ^"'  •«  ?"*»"'••  •»«»  the  foot  if  the  e^ 
i^^J?      ""•  '*"?  "'Z.^  placed  upon  it  in  «ifety ;  for  I  leave  none  who  will  h« 

•pWto  of  my  faUiMi.  whm  ag.  cannot  oome;  but  my  heart  fall,  when  Ithinkof  mv 
P«)pl6,  who  are  toon  to  be  ■oatteiwl  and  forgotten."  ^ 

Tonewanda  yiUage,  having  about  100  dwellings,  lies  at  the  mouth 
and  en  both  sides  of  Tonewanda  creek,  the  portion  lying  on  the  north 
side  of  the  creek  bemg  m  Wheatfield,  Niagara  co.    It  is  16  miles 
few.  from  Lockport,  11  N.  from  Buffalo,  on  the  lines  of  the  Buffalo 
and  Niagara  railroad  and  the  Erie  canal,  which  latter  here  runs  in  the 
1  onewanda  creek.     Grand  Island,  called  by  the  Indians  Owanungah. 
in  the  Niagara  nver,  commences  about  5  miles  below  the  termination 
01  Lake  Lne,  runs  down  8  miles,  and  ends  within  3  of  Niagara  Falls. 
Its  breadth  varies  from  3  to  6  miles.     Originally  this,  with  the  small 
islands  of  Strawberry,  Snake,  Squaw,  and  Bird,  belonged  to  the 
benecas,  and  were  purchased  of  them  by  the  state  for  $1,000.  and 
an annmty  of  $500.     "The  state,  in  1833,  sold  Grand  Island  to  the 
J!iart  Boston  Co.,  who  have  erected  upon  it,  on  the  site  of  the  pro- 
po8«Jd  Jewish  city  of  Ararat,  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tonewanda 
creek,  the  village  of  White  Haven,  (named  after  Mr.  Stephen  White, 
who  resides  upon  Tonewanda  island  nearly  opposite,)  where  thev 
have  a  steam  gnst-miU  and  saw-miU  160  feet  square,  with  room  for 
15  gangs  pt^saws,  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world,  several  dwell- 
mgs,  a  building  used  for  a  school  and  church,  a  commodious  wharf, 
several  hundred  feet  long,  and  a  spacious  dock  of  piles  for  storinir  and 
secunng  floating  timber.    The  pnncipal  object  of  the  company  is  to 
prepare  tunber  for  vessels  on  the  lakes  and  the  ocean,  ^ttinjr  the 
irames  to  the  models  given ;  in  which  they  avail  themselves,  not  only 
ot  their  special  resources  on  the  island,  but  of  all  which  the  vast 
region  around  the  upper  lakes  affords."    The  operaUons  of  this  com- 
pany are  at  present  suspended. 

thkS,!lj**y»?*'"'\"T!^' ?'?""""■ '*™^*'>«' United  States  and  Canada  went  on 
STtJ^SotW^flT^^Si!!*  *^'  boundarie.  of  their  different  pc««-ion. ;  electelmajA," 
tratea  and  other  offioera  ttom  amwg  themaelvea :  and  gave  out  that  thev  were  amenalu 
waS'i&rr^rA*  «  "•^l^-^tcomUnlty*  After  rjS^frnda^ 
JwJTX  '  ^'^     ^""^  P"~^  ■  '*'*'  to  drive  them  off;  but  that  waa  not  e^ 

fected  ti  I  the  aevere  ineiuiure  waa  reaorted  to  of  deetroying  their  hou^,  which  was  done  bv 
the  -henff  ajjd  po«eof  Erie  county.    Grand  Wand  wbm  Ejected  by  Ma^NoXS  S 

SL'S^^W— »^^i^  "°  7*^"^  *?  '•"'"  *  «*'/'  •"«!  •^•""h  »  colony  rfJe^.'&  the 
ZL  w  ^k"?  '*  ""•  ^'*"*' "  •:rJ"«-P*"''  "^"'•t  di.pei.ed  people,  there  it  waT^ticU 

T^^  ^bf^^together  the  chadrenof  I.reel,«ad  re-ertaW^  them  a.  a  nation  up^I 

SLt^iK^  ^^'^"  ^^^^  •'"^ .""»  ""«'"•"»  *•>•  "heme,  and  it  vaniahed  as  a  dS- 
dream  of  the  liiamMi  snd  vnrtkv  nM>i...«>. »     cr*.-t-t-  n.  «  '>•  ....      — — ^«^_"»  •  uajr- 


/ 


■MIX  ooomnr. 


» 


ESSEX  COUNTY. 

EsMx  COUNTY,  formed  from  Clinton  in  1799,  was  originally  settled 
from  New  England.  Its  greatest  length  N.  and  S.  48,  greatest  breadth 
E.  and  W.  41  miles  ;  centrally  distant  from  New  York  871,  and  from 
Albany  126  miles.  "  The  surface  of  this  county  is  decidedly  moun- 
tamous,  m  which  respect  it  bears  a  striking  contrast  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence. In  addition  to  this,  it  may  be  remarked,  that  the  hills,  as  well 
as  the  mountains,  are  steep  and  abrupt,  and  almost  uniformly  present, 
on  one  side,  a  precipice  nearly  perpendicular.  In  this  county  there 
are  no  long  and  gradual  slopes,  or  gentle  risings  towards  the  mountain 
summit,  but  they  are  always  bold  and  difficult  of  ascent.  A  surface 
of  country  thus  characterized,  combined  also  with  great  height,  both 
of  the  general  surface  and  especiaUy  of  numerous  peaks,  alters  to  a 
very  great  extent  its  amcultural  character.  By  this  combination,  the 
noean  temperature  of  the  county  is  reduced  so  low,  that  the  cultivation 
01  some  of  the  most  useful  vegetables  is  prevented,  or  they  are  crops 
so  uncertam,  on  account  of  late  springs  and  early  autumnal  frosts, 
that  little  inducement  is  held  out  for  trying  them  even  as  matters  of 
expenment. 

"  The  whole  of  this  county  lies  within  the  northern  primitiTe  dip. 
trict,  except  a  strip  of  lower  secondary,  which  borders  the  lake  for 
many  miles,  and  which  has  generally  a  surface  of  rock  lime.  Iron  ore 
of  the  best  (juality  abounds  everywhere  on  the  hills ;  marble  is  appa- 
rent m  Monah ;  plumbago  in  several  districts ;  ochres,  from  which 
paint  18  made,  m  Ticonderoga ;  and  some  copper,  it  is  said,  has  been 
discovered  m  the  northern  part  of  the  county."— The  county  is  di- 
vided mto  15  towns,  viz. : 


Chesterfield, 
Crown  Point, 
Elizabethtovm^ 
Essex, 

Keesville,  situated 


Jay, 

Keene, 
Lewis, 
Minerva, 


Moriah, 
Newcomb, 
Schroon, 
Ticonderoga, 


Westport,  ' 

WillsDorou^, 

Wilmington^ 


on 


r       T»i      ,:  .    -r  **°*  '***®*  ^^-^^  Sable  river,  16  miles  S. 

from  riattsburg  and  4  from  Port  Kent,  contains  about  300  dwellings 
4  churches,  a  bank,  several  large  manufacturing  establishments,  and 
IS  a  ceriter  of  business  for  iron  and  lumber.  Elizabethtown,  where 
the  county  buildings  are  located,  is  a  village  of  some  30  or  40  dwell- 
ings. Crown  Point,  whence  the  name  of  the  town  and  ancient  fort 
18  derived,  is  situated  at  the  NE.  extremity,  and  is  formed  by  an 
extensive  deep  bay  on  the  west,  skirted  by  a  steep  mountain,  and  on 
the  north  and  east  by  the  body  of  the  lake.  Fort  Frederick,  at  this 
place,  was  built  by  the  French  ii^4731.  This  fortress  was  a  star 
work,  being  in  the  form  of  a  pentagon,  with  bastions  at  the  angles, 
and  surrounded  by  a  ditch  walled  in  with  stone.  This  post  secured 
the  conunand  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  guarded  the  passage  into  Cana- 


96 


KS8KX  COOHTr. 


!>artie8  of  French  and  Indiana  made  their  bloody  incursions  upon  the 
rentiers  of  New  England  and  New  York.    This  fort  was  subse- 
quently blown  up  ;  and  its  site  is  now  marked  by  a  heap  of  ruins. 
This  place  being  abandoned  by  the  French,  in  1759,  to  Gen.  Am- 
herst, fort  Crown  Point  was  afterward  erected,  about  a  quarter  ol  a 
mile  from  the  shore,  and  has  kt  a  distance  something  the  appearance 
of  Ticonderoga.     The  walls  were  of  wood  and  earth,  16  feet  high,  22 
thick,  enclosing  an  area  of  1,500  yards  square,  surrounded  by  a  deep 
broad  ditch  cut  into  granite.    There  were  here  a  double  row  of  stone 
banacks,  and  on  the  north,  a  gate  with  a  drawbridge  and  covered  way 
leading  to  the  lake.    These  works  and  those  adjoining,  which  were 
extensive,  are  now  mostly  heaps  of  rubbish.     Crown  Point  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Americans  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  Ticonde- 
roga, in  May,  1775,  but  was  evacuated  the  next  year.    The  disastrous 
expedition  against  Canada  was  terminated  near  this  place,  by  the 
destruction  of  the  lake  fleet  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Arnold,  Oct. 
13th,  1776.    Arnold,  on  his  retreat  from  Canada,  on  board  his  fleet, 
was  pursued  by  the  enemy  so  closely,  that  he  was  obliged  to  run  his 
vessel  on  shore  and  blow  up  five  gondolas.    The  British  soon  estab- 
Ushed  themselves,  with  their  army  and  fleet,  at  Crown  Point,  and 
strengthened  the  fortifications ;  but  ere  long  they  abandoned  the  sta- 
tion and  retired  to  Canada. 


Ruins  of  Fort  Ticonderoga. 

The  above  is  a  representation  of  the  ruins  of  Fort  Ticonderoga,  96 
miles  from  Albany,  the  fortress  so  celebrated  in  colonial  and  revolu- 
tionary history.  These  ruins  are  situated  on  a  peninsula  of  about  500 
acres,  elevated  upwards  of  100  feet  above  Lake  Champlain,  at  the 
mouth  of  Lake  George's  outlet.  This  fortress  was  originally  erected  by 
the  French  in  1756,  and  was  called  by  them  Carillon,  and  was  a  place 
of  much  strength  by  nature  and  art,  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  water, 
and  having  half  the  fourth  covered  by  a  swamp,  and  the  only  approach- 
able point  defended  by  a  breastwork.  It  was,  however,  commanded 
by  Mount  Defiance  on  ihc  south  aide  of  the  creek  or  outlet,  which 


■MU  ObONTT. 


Vt 


towers  700  feet  above  the  lake.  It  waa  on  the  lummit  of  thia  moun- 
tain that  Gen.  Burgo^e'i  troops  showed  themselves  on  the  morning 
of  July  4th,  1777,  with  a  battery  of  heavy  cannon,  which  they  had 
drawn  up  along  the  ridge  dui;ing  the  night.  The  distance  from  the 
summit  to  the  fort,  in  a  straight  line,  is  alwut  a  mile.  The  position  was 
BO  commanding  that  they  could  count  all  the  men  in  the  fort,  and 
fully  justified  Gen.  St  Clair  in  ordering  an  immediate  retreat  of  the 
garrison.  Mount  Independence,  connected  in  history  with  Ticonde* 
roga,  lies  in  Vermont,  one  mile  from  the  fort  on  the  east  sido  of  the 
lake.    There  are  here  also  remains  of  military  works. 

The  following  account  of  the  defeat  of  Gen.  Abercrombie  before 
Ticonderoga,  July  8,  1758,  is  from  the  3d  volume  of  MacauleVs  His- 
tory of  New  York : 

"  Th«  flZMdition  agaiiut  Ticonderoga  and  Grown  Point  wu  conducted  by  Aberarombi* 
fa  peiaon.  In  the  beginning  of  July  he  embarlced  hii  forces,  amounting  to  neariy  aeTen 
Oouaand  ngulaia  and  ten  thouaand  provincial*,  on  Lake  Oeoige,  on  board  of  nine  hundred 
batteaux,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty.fire  whale  boaU,  with  proviaions,  artillery,  and  anunn. 
moon.  Several  pieces  of  cannon  were  mounted  on  rafts,  to  cover  the  proposed  landing  at 
the  outlet  of  the  lake.  Earlv  the  next  morning  he  reached  the  landing  place,  which  was 
in  a  cove  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  near  its  issue,  leading  to  the  advanced  guard  of  th« 
enemy,  composed  of  one  battalion,  in  a  logged  camp.  He  immediately  debarked  Ua 
forces,  and  after  haviiw  formed  them  into  three  oolunuia,  marched  to  the  enemy's  advanced 
post,  which  waa  abandoned  with  precipitation.  He  continued  his  march  with  the  aimy  tOb 
^"^  'I'><'*'°(l*roKB,  with  the  intention  of  investing  it ;  but  the  route  lying  thiroagh  a  thick 
wood  that  did  not  admit  of  any  regular  progression,  and  the  guides  pronng  extremely  ig. 
norant,  the  troops  were  bewildered,  and  the  columns  broken  by  falling  in  one  on  another. 
Lord  Howe  being  advanced  at  the  head  of  the  right  centre  column,  encountered  a  Frwich 
detachment,  that  had  likewise  lost  its  way  in  the  retreat  from  the  advanced  poet,  and  a 
warm  skirmish  ensuing,  the  enemy  were  routed  with  considerable  loss ;  and  one  hundred 
and  forty^ight  were  taken  prisoners.  This  advantage  was  purohaaed  at  a  dear  rate.  Lord 
Howe,  and  one  other  officer,  besides  privates,  were  killed.  The  former  is  spoken  of  in 
venr  high  terms  for  his  bravery.*  Abercrombie  perceiving  the  troope  were  greatly  frtigued 
and  disordered,  deemed  it  adviaable  to  fall  back  to  the  landing  place.  Then  he  detached 
LieutenanUcoIonel  Bradstreet,  with  a  detachment,  to  take  possession  of  a  sawjniU  in  the 
xacimty  of  Ticonderoga,  which  the  enemy  had  abandoned.  This  post  being  secured, 
Abercrombie  advanced  again  towarda  Ticonderoga,  where,  he  understood  from  the  prisoners, 
the  enemy  had  assembled  eight  battalions,  with  a  body  of  Canadians  and  Indians,  amount, 
ing  m  all  to  six  thouaand  men.  The  actual  number,  however,  waa  conaidenbly  leas,  not 
exceeding  four  thousand  men,  as  was  afterward  ascertained.  Theae,  they  said,  being  en. 
camped  before  the  fort,  were  employed  in  making  a  formidable  intrenchment,  wher*  they 
intended  to  wait  for  a  reinforeement  of  three  thousand  men,  who  had  been  detached,  onder 
the  command  of  M.  de  Levi,  to  make  a  diversion  on  the  side  of  the  Mohawk ;  but  upon 
mteliigence  of  Abercrombie'a  approach,wera  now  recalled  fiir  the  defence  of  Ticonderoga. 
Thu  information  induced  Abercrombie  to  atrike,  if  possible,  some  decisive  blow  before  tlM 
lunctaon  could  be  effected.  He- therefore  eariy  next  morning  sent  Us  engineer  to  recoo. 
noitre  tte  enemy's.intrenchments ;  and  he,  upon  his  return,  reported  that  the  works  being 
still  unfinished,  tamhx  be  attempted  vrith  good  prospect  of  success.  A  disposition  waa 
made  Mcordingly  for  the  attack,  and  after  proper  guards  had  been  left  at  the  aawjuili  and 
the  unding  place,  the  whole  army  was  put  in  motion.  The  troope  advanoed  with  great  alacrity 
towards  the  intrenchments,  which,  however,  they  fonnd  sltogether  impracticable.  Th« 
breaatwork  waa  raised  eight  feet  high,  and  the  ground  before  it  covered  with  an  abattis, 

SSS;  S5l- .J^*"'i"  ''l.'*5"'iy  "f™? J'  *•  "*»*«»•    ■•  «»« bta  bair  ibort,  and  induced  tbe  ngl- 

Suh^...  im  "L^'*  "iTP^S??"  ^ftpt^  When  near  Tioondenn,  maKw,  aflarwHd  Q«n.  PuUmb, 
Sir.SJ^'^i^'""^^'''**^  "  '*"?»  *»V**  """y  •»  ■  Wnd  of  KoutlM  vStf.  Putnam endeavoredu 
fiS  ^i:^.^"!'!^  aceompanyJnB  Mm.  isytog, '  My  Lord,  If  I  am  uneTtlM  la«  of  my  Ufti  wUi  be  of 

USi^^.T^!!!^?!^''^''*''*^  **  »*??!.  *•.  <*  '"'™*«  teipo™™*  to  «W»  snni:'   The  only  awww 

~  •  r.  .■       '  °~  ~~~  ~  ~  "fS'  ">  yCgi  Sg  mtm  aba  Ox:  I  am  ccicrminca  to  go.'    xnsv  ioaa  ma  SOB  iOI 

ofib*memy'iadvaiiee,bywhos*llistflreMsloidrtlpfdI.'^ilwig*rV«^<^^ 

13 


mummmmm 


96 


MX  OOUNTT. 


or  fe)]ed  ^9es  with  tlieir  kquelia  ooinaiig  outward,  uul  pmaectins  in  woh  »  nMnmr  m  to 
midar  tb*  intrenchment  almott  iiiitcoMdbla.  Notwithttanding  thieaa  diaeoura|in(  difflcnl 
(iaa,  dM  troopa  marched  up  to  tha  aaaault  with  an  undauntad  raaolutlon,  and  auatainad  a 
tairibla  fira.  Thay  andaavorad  to  fore*  thair  way  through  thaaa  umbarnuamanta,  and  aoma 
of  tham  aven  mountad  tha  parapat;  but  tha  anemy  wort,  ao  wall  covarad,  and  defended 
their  worka  with  ao  much  gaUaiitry,  notwiihatandinc  their  /raatly  inferior  numbara.  that  no 
impraaaion  could  be  made:  tha  carnage  became  fearfully  great,  and  the  aaaailanta  began  to 
M  into  great  confuaion,  afiar  aavaral  attaeka,  which  laaied  aeveral  houra.  Abercr>mbie  by 
thia  time  aaw  plainly  that  no  hope  of  auccaea  ranutinad  |  and  in  order  to  prevent  a  total  de. 
feat,  auunded  a  retreat,  leaving  about  two  tAaitaand  man  on  the  field.  Every  corpa  of  tha 
army  behaved,  on  thia  unfortunate  day,  with  remarkable  intrepidity ;  the  greateat  loaa  aua. 
tained  among  the  corpa,  waa  that  of  the  regiment  of  Lord  John  Murray." 

The  geizure  of  the  f  rtreis  of  Ticonderoga,  by  Col.  Ethan  Allen, 
on  the  10th  of  May,  17  /S,  ii  thug  related  by  Ramsay,  in  his  history 
of  the  American  Revolution : 

••  It  early  occurred  to  many,  that  if  the  aword  decided  the  controveray  between  Great 
Britain  and  her  coloniea,  the  poaaeaaion  of  Ticonderoga  would  be  eaaantial  to  the  aecurity 
of  the  latter.  Situated  on  a  promontory,  formed  at  the  junction  of  the  wateia  of  Lake 
Oeoige  and  Lake  Champloin,  it  waa  the  key  of  all  communication  between  New  York  and 
Canada.  Meaara.  Deane,  Wooater,  Panona,  Stevena,  and  othera  of  Connecticut,  planned 
a  acheme  for  obuining  poaaeaaion  of  thia  valuable  puet.  Having  procured  a  loan  of  1,800 
doUara  of  public  money,  and  provided  a  Bufiicient  quiiiitity  of  powder  and  ball,  they  eet  off 
for  Bennington,  to  obtain  the  co-operation  of  Colonel  Allen  of  that  place.  Two  hundred 
and  eeventy  men,  moatly  of  that  brave  and  hardy  people  who  are  colled  green  mountain 
boya,  were  Hpeedily  collected  at  Caatleton,  which  waa  fixed  on  aa  the  place  of  rendezvoua. 
At  thia  place  Colonel  Arnold,  who,  though  attended  only  with  a  aervant,  waa  proaecuting 
th«  aame  ol^ect,  unexpectedly  joined  them.  He  had  been  early  choaen  a  captain  of  a  vol- 
unteer company  by  the  inhabitanta  of  Now  Haven,  among  whom  he  reaided.  Aa  aoon  aa 
he  nceived  newa  of  the  Lexington  batde,  he  marched  olT  with  hia  company  for  the  vi. 
cinity  of  Beaton,  and  arrived  there,  though  150  milea  diatant,  in  a  few  days.  Immediately 
after  bl]  arrival  he  waited  on  the  Maaaachuaetta  committee  of  aafety,  and  informed  them, 
that  there  were  at  Ticonderoga  many  piecea  of  cannon  and  a  great  quantity  of  valuable 
atorea,  and  that  the  fort  waa  m  a  niinoua  condition,  and  gtriisoned  only  by  about  40  men. 
They  appointed  him  a  colonel,  and  commiiaiuned  him  to  raiae  400  men,  and  to  take  Ti. 
eondanKa.  The  leaden  of  the  party  which  had  previoualy  rendesvouaed  at  Caatleton,  ad. 
mittad  Colonel  Arnold  to  join  them,  and  it  waa  agreed  that  Colonel  Allen  ahould  be  the 
commander  in  chief  of  the  expedition,  and  that  Colonel  Arnold  ahould  be  hia  aaaiatant. 
They  proceeded  without  delay,  and  arrived  b  the  night  at  Lake  Champlain,  oppoaite  to  Ti- 
conderoga. Allen  and  Arnold  croaeed  over  with  83  men,  and  landed  near  the  garriaon. 
They  contended  who  ahould  go  m  firat,  but  it  waa  at  laat  agreed  that  they  should  both  go 
in  together.  They  advanced  abreaat,  and  entered  the  fort  at  the  dawning  of  day.  A  aentry 
anapped  hia  piece  at  one  of  them,  and  then  retreated  through  the  covered  way  to  the  pa- 
rade. The  Americana  followed,  and  immediately  drew  up.  The  commander,  aurpriaed  in 
hii  bed,  waa  called  upon  to  aurrender  the  fort.  He  aaked.  By  what  authority  7  Colonel 
Allen  replied,  '  /  demand  it  m  the  nama  of  the  great  Jehovah,  and  of  the  amtmental 
amgrett.'  No  reaiatance  waa  made,  and  the  fort,  with  its  valuable  atorea  and  forty-eight 
priBoneia,  fell  into  the  handa  of  the  Americana.  The  boats  had  been  aent  back  for  the  ra. 
mainder  of  the  men,  but  the  business  was  done  before  they  got  over.  Colonel  Seth  '  i- 
ner  waa  acnt  off  with  a  party  to  take  poseession  of  Crown  I  int,  where  a  sergeant  and  i " 
men  performed  garriaon  duty.  Thia  was  speedily  effected.  The  next  object,  call'  i  ■  i 
the  attention  of  the  Americana,  waa  to  obtain  the  command  of  Lake  Champlain,  bu 
■  complish  this,  it  waa  neceaaary  for  them  to  get  poasesaion  of  a  sloop  of  war,  lying  at  St. 
Johns,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  lakf  With  the  view  of  capturing  this  sloop  it 
was  agreed  to  man  and  arm  a  schooner  lying  at  South  Bay,  and  that  Arnold  should  com- 
mand her,  and  that  AMe:»  ahould  command  aome  batteaux  on  the  same  expedition.  A  fa. 
vorable  wind  carried  tbe  achooner  ahead  of  the  batteaux,  and  Colonel  Arnold  got  immedi. 
ate  possession  of  the  ksr-jp  >iy  mirprise.  The  wind  again  favoring  him,  he  returned  with 
his  prize  to  Ticondeicgt ,  mu  r  .mned  Colonel  Allen.  The  latter  soon  went  home,  and  the 
former  with  a  number  m  r,;  agreec'  io  remain  there  in  garrison.  In  this  rapid  manner 
he  possession  of  Ticutiusr  j. ..  asc   je  command  of  Lake  Champlain  were  obtained,  with. 


«*«•*   aw*v»   1/^—     Wot 


T-'li^"- 


oomrrr. 


The  follAwing  aceount  of  the  evftcuation  of  Ticonderogt  by  Gen- 
era!  St  Clair,  on  July  6,  1777,  and  iome  of  the  evenUi  which  Mow- 
ed, ii  from  the  8d  volume  of  Macauley*!  Uiitory  of  New  York : 

**  From  Crown  Point,  ih*  Biitiab.  may  adrnncad  on  both  dim  of  iIm  lake ;  Um  nnral 
foroa  keeping  iia  ■tation  in  the  cmtre  {  the  frigate  and  gun-boaU  caat  anchor  juat  oat  of 
cannon.ahot  from  the  American  works.  On  the  near  approach  of  the  right  wing,  wUeh 
advanced  on  the  weat  aide  of  the  lake,  on  the  aecond  of  July,  the  Americana  abandoned 
and  aet  fire  to  their  worka,  block.houaea  and  aaw-raiUa,  towarda  Lake  George  ;  and  with, 
out  attempting  any  aerioua  oppoaition,  Buffered  Oeneral  PhiUipa  to  take  poaaeaaion  of  Mount 
Hope.  Thia  p<Mt  commanded  the  American  linea  in  a  great  def^e,  and  cut  olf  their  com. 
munication  with  Lake  George.  The  enemy  charged  the  Americana,  on  thia  occaaion,  with 
aupmeneaa  and  *«nt  of  rigor }  but  thia  charge  aeems  not  well-founded;  they  had  not  men 
enough  to  make  ti>y  elfoctual  oppoaition  to  the  powerfiU  force  which  threatened  to  encloaa 
thorn. 

"In  tin  m»»r.i  dnie,  uie  Britiah  army  proceeded  with  aueh  expedition  in  the  conatruotion 
of  their  worlw,  the  bringing  up  of  their  artillery,  atoroB,  and  proviaiona.  and  the  eatabliah. 
ment  c.  pokti  nd  communicationa,  that  by  the  fifth,  mattera  were  ao  fw  advanced  aa  to 
r^qidre  but  one  or  two  daya  more  to  completely  inveat  the  poets  on  both  aidea  of  the  lake. 
n'rr.nt  Defiance  had  alao  been  examined,  and  the  advantagea  which  it  preaented  were  ao 
miportant,  that  it  had  been  determined  to  take  poaaeaaion,  and  erect  a  battery  there,  Thia 
work,  though  attended  with  extreme  difficulty  and  labor,  had  been  carried  on  by  Oeneral 
fhillipa  with  much  expedition  and  aucceaa.  A  road  had  been  made  over  very  rough 
ground,  to  the  top  of  the  mount ;  and  tht  enemy  were  at  work  in  conatructing  a  level  for  a 
battery,  and  traneporting  their  cannon,  Aa  aoon  aa  thia  battery  ahould  be  ready  to  play, 
the  American  worka  would  have  been  completely  inveated  on  all  wdea. 

"  The  situation  of  General  8t,  Clair  waa  now  very  critical.  He  called  a  councO  of  war. 
to  deliberate  on  measurea  to  be  taken.  He  informed  them  that  their  whole  eflective  num. 
ber  was  not  sufficient  to  man  one  half  of  the  works ;  that  aa  the  whole  muat  be  conatantly 
on  duty,  it  would  be  imposaible  for  them  to  endure  the  fatigue  for  any  conaiderable  length 
of  time ;  that  General  Schuvler,  who  waa  then  at  Fort  Edward,  had  not  sufficient  forcwi  to 
relieve  them ;  and  that,  aa  the  enemy'a  batteries  were  nearly  ready  to  open  upon  then,  and 
the  place  would  be  completely  inveated  in  twenty.four  houra,  notUng  could  aave  the  trooDS 
but  an  immediate  evacuation  of  the  poata. 

"It  waa  proposed  that  the  baggage  of  the  army,  with  such  artillery  stores  and  provisions 
OS  the  necessity  of  the  occasion  would  admit,  should  be  embarked  with  a  strong  detach, 
ment  on  board  of  two  hundred  batteaux,  and  deapatched  under  convoy  of  five  armed  ml. 
leya,  up  the  lake  to  Skeenaborough,  (WhitehaU.)  and  that  the  main  body  of  the  armyshmdd 
proceed  by  land,  taking  ita  route  on  the  road  to  Castleton,  which  was  about  thirty  nules 
southeast  of  1  iconderoga,  and  join  the  boats  and  galleys  at  Skeenaborough,  It  was  Aoutrbt 
necessary  to  keep  the  matter  a  aecret  till  the  time  should  come,  when  it  was  to  be  ex. 
ecttted.  Hence,  the  neceaaary  preparations  could  not  be  made,  and  it  waa  not  poMible  to 
prevent  irreguianty  and  disorder,  in  the  dififerent  embarkations  and  movements  of  the 
troopa. 

"  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  July  the  sixth.  General  St.  Clair  left  Ticonderaga 
and  about  thrae.  the  troopa  at  Mount  Independence  were  put  in  motion.  The  house  which 
had  been  occupied  by  Oeneral  de  Fermoy  was,  contrary  to  orders,  set  on  fire.  This  afforded 
complete  information  to  the  enemy  of  what  was  going  forward,  and  enabled  them  to  see 
every  movement  of  the  Americans— at  the  aame  time,  it  impressed  die  laMw  with  such  an 
idea  of  d-tcu  ary  and  danirer,  as  precipitated  them  into  great  disorder.  About  four  o'clock. 
U  uonel  Francis  brought  off  the  rear.guard,  and  conducted  their  retreat  in  a  regular  man. 
ner ;  and  soon  after,  some  of  the  regiments,  through  the  exertiopa  of  their  officers,  recov. 
ered  from  their  confiimon.  When  the  troops  arrived  at  Hubbiinlton  they  wei«  halted  for 
newly  two  hours,  and  the  rear.guard  was  increased  by  many  w|o  did  not  at  firat  belong  to 
riju  ''*"  picked  upon  the  road,  having  been  onable  to  keen  up  with  Uieir  rwiniMits. 
The  rew.guard  wss  here  put  under  tiie  commai^  of  Colonel  SeVh  Warner,  with  orders  to 
toUow  the  army,  ■■  "joon  as  the  whole  canta  up,  and  to  halt  abont  a  mUe  and  a  half  short 
of  the  mam  body.  The  army  then  proceeded  to  CasUeton,  about  six  miles  fiirther— Colonel 
Warner,  with  the  rear.guard  and  atraggleia,  remaining  at  Hubbardton, 

"The  retreat  of  the  Americana  from  Ticonderaga  and  Mount  IndeRfsndence,  waa  bo 
sooner  perceived  by  the  British,  tiian  General  Fraxer  began  an  eagpr  puwuit  with  faia  bri. 
fade.  Mmor.general  Reidesel  was  ordered  to  ioin  in  the  mimiiit  with  tjji.  o«.'«t«,  b«»  af  his 
Germans.    Oenorai  FraMr  eontinaed  the  pursuit  tfirough  the  day,  and  having  received  in. 


'   iimnmnamM, 


100 


FRANXXIN  COUNTY. 


telligeaee  that  the  rear  of  the  Amerioaa  army  was  at  no  great  diitanee,  ordered  his  men 
to  lie  that  night  upon  their  arms.  On  July  7th,  at  five  in  the  morning,  he  came  up  with 
Col.  Warner,  who  had  about  one  thouaand  men.  The  Britiah  advanced  boldly  to  the 
attack,  and  the  two  bodlee  formed  within  sixty  yards  of  each  other.  The  conflict  was 
fierce  and  bloody.  Colonel  Francis  fell  at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  fighting  with  great 
gallantry.  Warner  was  so  well  supported  by  his  officers  and  men,  that  the  assailanta 
broke  and  gave  way.  They  soon,  however,  recovered  from  their  disorder,  formed  again, 
and  charged  the  Americans  with  the  bayonet,  when  they,  in  their  turn,  were  put  mto  dis« 
order;  these,  however,  rallied  and  returned  to  the  charge,  and  the  issue  of  the  battle  be« 
came  dubious.  At  that  moment.  Gen.  Reidesel  appeared  with  the  advance  party  of  hia 
Germans.  These  being  led  into  action,  soon  decided  the  fortune  of  the  day,  and  the 
Americans  had  to  retreat  The  loos  in  this  action  was  very  considerable  on  the  American 
aide.  CoL  Hale,  who  had  not  brought  his  regiment,  which  consisted  of  militia,  into  action, 
although  ordered  so  to  do,  in  attempting  to  escape  by  flight  fell  in  with  an  inconsiderable 
party  at  the  enemy,  and  surrendered  himself,  and  a  number  of  his  men,  prisoners.  In 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  the  Americans  lost  in  this  action  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
fottt  men,  and  tlie  British  one  hundred  and  eighty-three  in  killed  and  wounded." 


FRANKLIN  COUNTY. 

Franklin  county,  taken  from  Clinton  in  1808,  is  centrally  distant 
from  New  York  287,  from  Albany  NW.  142  miles.  Greatest  length 
60,  greatest  breadth  30  miles.  The  high  northern  latitude  sufficiently 
indicates  the  rigors  of  the  climate.  The  forests  are  ven'  dense,  con- 
sisting of  trees  of  immense  size.  In  the  southwestern  part  are  some 
lofty  ridges  of  mountains,  but  of  all  the  rest  a  large  portion  is  rather 
level  than  hilly.  The  settlements  are  almost  wholly  in  the  northern 
part,  extending  about  15  miles  S.  from  the  N.  line,  and  even  here  are 
sparse ;  much  the  larger  portion  of  the  county  being  as  yet  covered 
with  the  primitive  forests.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  occasionally 
mixed  with  clay,  and  stony.  The  fields  commonly  among  thrifty  farm- 
ers are  fenced  with  stones  gathered  from  the  surface.  Some  wheat 
is  raised,  but  it  is  an  uncertain  crop,  whilst  ^ss,  oats,  barley,  com, 
&c.,  generally  are  very  productive.  No  portion  of  the  state  is  per- 
haps l)etter  adapted  to  the  sugar-beet.  Grazing  and  lumbering  are 
the  chief  pursuit  of  the  inhabitants,  who  find  their  market  upon  the 
St.  Lawrence  river.    The  county  is  divided  into  13  towns,  viz. : 


Bangor, 
Belmont, 
Bombay, 
Brandon, 


Chateaugay, 
Constable, 
Dickinson, 
Duane, 


Fort  Covington, 
Franklin, 
Malone, 
Moira, 


Westville. 


Malone,  the  cot  ity  seat,  is  51  miles  W.  from  Plattsburg,  and  212 
from  Albany.  It  is  a  village  of  about  100  dwellings,  3  churches,  the 
Franklin  Academy,  a  bank,  and  a  number  of  manufacturing  establish- 
ments. It  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  Salmon  river,  and  is  well  sup- 
plied with  water  power.  Fort  Covington,  formerly  called  French 
Mills,  is  a  village  of  about  180  dwellings,  on  Salmon  river,  5  miles 
from  the  St.  Lawrence,  223  miles  from  Albany.      It  contains  4 


*. 


FRANKLIN   COVNTY. 


101 


churches,  an  academy,  and  a  number  of  extensive  factories  and 
mills. 

The  Indian  village  of  St.  Regis  lies  on  the  left  bank  of  the  St.  Regis 
river,  upon  the  northern  boundary  of  this  county.  The  present  or  late 
chief  ot  the  St.  Regis  Indians,  is  or  was  a  descendant  ot  the  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  John  Williams,  the  minister  of  Deerfield,  Mass.,  who  was 
with  most  of  his  family  and  neighbors  taken  prisoner  to  Canada  in 
1704.  Mr.  Williams  was  carried  to  Lake  Champlain,  and  from  thence 
to  Montreal  and  Quebec,  In  1706,  a  flag-ship  was  dispatched  to  the 
latter  place,  and  Mr.  Williams  and  57  other  captivri  were  redeemed 
and  sent  to  Boston  :  all  his  children  returned  with  the  exception  of  his 
daughter  Eunice,  who,  at  the  a^e  of  10  years,  was  left  behind.  She 
adopted  the  manners  of  the  Indians,  to  one  of  whom  she  was  married, 
and  became  converted  to  the  Catholic  faith.  Some  time  after  the  war, 
she,  with  her  husband,  visited  her  relations  at  Deerfield,  dressed  in  the 
Indian  costume  ;  and  though  every  persuasive  was  in  vain  tried  to  in- 
duce her  to  abandon  him  and  remain  among  her  connections,  she  still 
persisted  in  wearing  her  blanket  and  counting  her  beads,  and  returned 
to  Canada,  where  she  ended  her  days.  Her  descendants  still  continue 
to  visit  their  relatives  in  New  England,  by  whom  they  are  hospitably 
received.  One  of  them,  by  the  name  of  Eleazer  WiUiams,  has  been 
educated  by  his  friends  in  New  England,  and  employed  as  a  mission- 
ary to  the  Indians  at  Green  Bay.  Mr.  WiUiams  some  years  since, 
when  on  a  visit  to  Canada,  found  the  Bible  of  his  great-grandfather, 
the  Rev.  John  Williams,  with  his  name  in  it.  He  states,  that  when 
Deerfield  was  destroyed,  the  Indians  took  a  small  church  bell,  which 
is  now  hanging  in  the  Indian  church  at  St.  Regis.  It  was  conveyed 
on  a  sledge  as  far  as  Lake  Champlain  and  buried,  and  was  afterward 
taken  up  and  conveyed  to  Canada. 

The  first  standard  captured  from  the  enemy  in  the  late  war  was 
taken  at  this  place  by  Major  Guilford  Dudley  Young,  on  the  28d  of 
Oct.,  1812.  The  following  account  of  this  event  is  extracted  from 
newspapers  published  at  the  time : 

•'Major  Youne^  of  the  Troy  militia,  commandant  of  a  detachment  atationed  at  French 
MiUb,  on  the  St.  Regw  river,  having  received  information  that  a  party  of  the  enemy  had 
arrived  at  the  village  of  St.  Regis,  and  that  more  were  shortly  expected,  formed  a  rMolu. 
tion  to  take  them  before  they  vrere  reinforced.  For  this  purpose,  he  marched  a  detach- 
ment,  at  11  o  clock  on  the  night  of  the  Slat  of  October,  crossed  the  river  at  Gray's  Mills 
about  3,  and  at  5  in  the  morning  arrived  within  half  a  mile  of  the  vUlage  unexpected  by 
toe  enemy.  Here  the  major  made  such  a  judicious  disposition  of  his  men,  that  toe  enemy 
were  entirely  surrouiided,  and  after  a  few  discharges,  surrendered  toemselves  prisonen 
with  the  loss  of  5  killed.  The  result  of  this  affair  was  the  capture  of  40  prisonen  with 
their  arms,  equipments,  &c.,  one  stand  of  colors  and  two  batteaux,  witoout  a  man  of  our 
party  being  hurt  They  got  safe  back  to  camp  at  11  o'clock  in  toe  mominff.  The 
priBonew  were  sent  off  to  Platteburg.  Major  Young  has  tous  had  toe  honor  of  takinir  toa 
nrst  standard  from  toe  enemy  In  the  present  war.'' 


1,4' ..  -  iiUPJ.IIi 


103 


FULTON  COtHTir. 


" 


!   : 


FULTON  COUNTY. 

Fulton  county  was  taken  from  the  northern  part  of  Montgomery 
county  in  1838  ;  NW.  from  Albany  40  miles  ;  length  E.  and  W.  32 
miles,  breadth  N.  and  S.  17.  The  surface  of  the  northern  part  of  this 
county  is  hilly,  with  some  ranges  of  a  mountainous  character.  The 
Kayaderosseras  range  of  mountains  enters  the  county  on  the  NE.,  but 
sinks  to  the  general  level  in  the  town  of  Northampton.  The  county  is 
well  watered  and  contains  several  small  lakes.  It  is  divided  into  9 
towns. 


Bleecker, 

Broadalbin, 

Ephratah, 


Johnstown, 

Mayfield, 

Northampton, 


Oppenheim, 

Perth, 

Stratford. 


■  : 


Southern  view  of  Johnstown. 

Johnstown,  originally  named  Caughnawaga,  was  founded  about  the 
year  1770,  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  who  resided  here  durinff  the  lat- 
ter period  of  his  life,  essentially  in  the  rank,  and  with  much  of  the 
splendor  of  a  nobleman.  Sir  William  and  his  family,  by  various 
means,  became  possessed  of  vast  tracts  of  valuable  land  in  this  section 
of  the  country,  and  had  many  tenants  and  retainers  under  them. 
Their  great  possessions,  however,  were  confiscated  during  the  revo- 
lutionary war,  on  account  of  their  adherence  to  the  British  cause. 
The  village  of  Johnstown  is  about  4  miles  N.  of  Fonda,  the  seat  of 
iustice  for  Montgomery  county,  and  44  from  Albany.    The  accom* 

Eanying  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  the  village  as  viewed 
om  the  first  elevation  south,  on  the  road  to  Caughnawaga  or  Fonda 
village.  The  courthouse  is  the  first  building  seen  on  the  left  with  a 
spire  ;  Mayfield  mountains  appear  in  the  extreme  distance.  The  vil- 
lage contams  a^bank,  jm  academy,  4  churches — ]  Presbyterian,  1 
Episcopal,   1   Dutch  Keformed,  and   i   Methodist — and  about  250 


« 


rCLTOM  001TMTT. 


108 


dwellings.  It  is  situated  on  a  handsome  plain,  skirted  on  the  N. 
and  W.  by  Cayadutta  creek,  and  on  the  S.  by  a  hill  of  moderate  ele- 
jration.  It  was  reffularly  laid  out  by  Henry  Oothoudt,  Jeremiali  Van 
Rensselaer,  and  Christopher  P.  Yates,  state  commissioners,  in  1784, 
and  was  incorporated  in  1807. 

About  three  fourths  of  a  mile  from  this  vilWe  is  a  house  built  by 
Sir  William  Johnson,  called  "  Johnson  Hall."  This  was  the  place  of 
resort  for  the  sachems  of  the  Six  Nations,  and  all  the  Mohawks  re- 
paired thither  to  receive  their  presents  from  the  British  government. 

Wilham  Johnson  was  bom  in  Ireland,  about  the  year  1714;  he 
was  a  nephew  of  Sir  Peter  Warren,  the  naval  commander  who  dis- 
tmguished  himself  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg  in  1745.  Sir  Peter  hav- 
ing married  a  sister  of  Chief-justice  De  Lancey  of  New  York,  pur- 
chased a  large  track  of  land  on  the  Mohawk,  and  about  the  year 
1734,  sent  for  his  nephew  to  come  to  America  and  superintend  this 
estate.  Young  Johnson  first  established  himself  at  the  mouth  of  the 
bchoharie,  afterward  erected  a  house  in  the  town  of  Amsterdam, 
and  subsequently  the  hall  at  Johnstown.  To  fulfil  the  duties  of  his 
commission,  he  learned  the  language  of  the  Indians,  studied  their 
manners  and  cultivated  their  acquaintance.  His  situation  between 
Albany  and  Oswego,  presented  a  fine  opportunity  for  trade,  and  he 
earned  on  a  large  traffic  with  them,  supplying  them  with  goods,  and 
receiving  m  return  beaver  and  other  skins.  By  a  course  of  sagacious 
measures,  he  obtained  an  influence  over  the  Indians  greater  than  was 
ever  possessed  by  any  other  white  man. 

"  fi"^  William  Johnson  possessed  considerable  talents  as  an  orator, 
and  his  influence  over  the  Indians  was  not  a  little  owing  to  the  im- 
pression made  upon  them  by  means  of  his  elocution He  had 

wives  and  concubines,  sons  and  daughters,  of  different  colors."  By 
Lady  Johnson  he  had  3  children— 1  son  and  2  daughters.  His  son, 
bir  John  Johnson,  took  side  with  the  British,  in  the  revolutionary 
war,  and  became  the  scourge  of  the  Mohawk  valley.  One  of  the 
daughters  married  Col.  Claus,  and  the  other  Sir  Guy  Johnson.  Sir 
Wilxiam  died  suddenly,  at  Johnson  Hall,  July  11th,  1774,  aged  60 
years  ;  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  in  his  title,  and  also  to  his  post 
as  major-general  of  the  militia. 

The  following  anecdote  reepecting  Sir  WiUiam,  seems  to  evince,  that  in  hia  dealinn 
r^nW  tK  I'T'  ri°  ''^\*  »^  reputation  for  cunning,  he  was  not  outwitted.  HeS- 
drick,  the  chief  of  the  Mohawks,  was  at  the  house  of  Sir  William  when  he  received 
several  nchsu  to  of  laced  clothes.    Soon  after,  the  chief  cameTo  Tm  and  S  "I 

Thf  "1;  .  ^u  '  T\"^  '^^  ^u""  ^'"^  ^"  "  '  ^'^  y°»  Jn^"  »"•  one  suit  of  ctthes." 
Ihis  hint  could  not  be  mistaken  or  well  avoided,  and  accordingly  Hendriok  received  a 
suit.  ,Some  ime  afterward  Sir  William,  meetbg  Hendriok,  said  to  him,  "  I  dreamed  last 
uft^  "D'dyou!    What  did  you  dreamr    "I  dreamed  you  gav;  mVa  tract  T 

ty  Ti^'  1  »  T7  ^^X^^"  *u"**.'  *."*,"*  "°  **""'  "«''"■'•'  yo"  '^""^  too  hard  far 
me.      The  tract  of  land  thus  obtained,  is  stated  to  have  been  12  miles  square,  in  the 

fhr^'Vl"  Grant"         **' '      *  *'"**  *"  '*  ^"  confirmed  by  the  king,  and  was  called 

The  power  which  Sir  William  Johnson  acquired  over  the  Indians 


I 


104 


rULTON   COUNTY. 


descended  to  his  son  and  to  his  nephew,  Col.  Guy  Johnson,  who  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  agency  of  Indian  affairs.  As  the  family  had  de- 
rived most  of  their  wealth  and  consideration  from  the  crown,  they 
were,  as  misht  be  supposed,  devoted  loyalists.  In  1776,  Gen.  Schuy- 
ler prevailed  upon  the  Indians  to  agree  to  be  neutral  in  the  coming 
conflict  It  appeared,  however,  that  the  influence  of  the  Johnson 
family  prevailed  with  the  Indians,  and  induced  them  to  join  the 
British  cause.  It  also  appeared  that  Sir  John  was  fortimng  his 
house  and  arming  the  Scotch  Highlanders,  his  tenants  and  adherents. 
Congress  having  heard  of  these  movements,  sent  Gen.  Schuyler  to 
disarm  these  persons,  and  take  other  measures  to  secure  the  tranquillity 
of  Tryon  county.  Schuyler  set  out  on  this  mission  with  700  militia, 
but  before  he  reached  Caughnawaga  his  force  had  increased  to  three 
thousand.  At  Schenectady  a  deputation  of  Mohawks  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Johnsons  met  him,  and  with  much  artfuhiess  endea- 
vored to  dissuade  him  from  advancing.  On  the  16th  of  January, 
1776,  Gen.  Schuyler  despatched  a  letter  to  Sir  John,  requesting  him 
to  meet  him  on  the  morrow ;  they  accordingly  met,  and  after  some 
subsequent  delay,  he  and  the  Scotch  gentlemen  agreed  to  make  a 
delivery  of  the  arms  of  the  inhabitants.  Sir  John  likewise  agreed 
that  he  would  not  go  westward  of  German  Flats  and  Kinsland  dis- 
trict, and  that  six  Scotch  inhabitants  might  be  taken  as  hostages.  On 
the  19th,  Schuyler  marched  into  Johnstown  and  drew  up  his  men  in 
a  line ;  the  Highlanders  were  drawn  up  facing  them,  and  grounded 
their  arms.  The  military  stores  were  surrendered :  and  this  service 
being  performed,  Schuyler  and  the  militia  returned.  It  was  found 
afterward  that  the  Highlanders  had  not  deUvered  up  their  broad- 
swords or  ammunition. 

Gen.  Herkimer  was  left  by  Gen.  Schuyler  to  complete  the  disarm- 
ing of  the  hostile  inhabitants.  Sir  John,  notwithstanding  his  word  of 
honor,  continued  his  hostile  intrigues  with  the  Indians,  and  otherwise 
forfeited  his  promises.  It  was  found  necessary  to  secure  him,  and  in 
May,  1776,  Col.  Dayton  was  sent  on  this  duty.  The  tories  in  Al- 
bany gave  notice  to  Sir  John  of  his  approach,  and  the  knight  and  his 
followers  fled  to  the  woods,  and  escaped  to  Canada,  arriving  at  Mon- 
treal after  nineteen  days  of  suffering  and  starvation.  He  left  his  re- 
sidence in  much  haste :  an  iron  chest  with  the  family  Bible  and  papers 
were  buried  in  the  garden.  On  arrivmg  in  Canada,  the  baronet  was 
commissioned  a  British  colonel,  and  raised  the  regiment  of  tories  called 
the  Royal  Greens.  By  his  adherence  to  the  British,  his  immense  estate 
was  forfeited,  and  this  appears  to  have  inspired  him  with  implacable 
revenge.  On  Sunday,  the  21st  of  May,  1780,  at  dead  of  night,  Sir 
John  Johnson,  with  a  force  of  about  600  men,  part  of  whom  were 
Indians,  made  an  incursion  into  Johnstown.  He  had  penetrated  the 
country  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  to  Crown  Point,  and  thence 
through  the  woods  to  the  Sacondaga  river.  The  following  account 
of  this  incursion  is  from  a  newspaper  published  June  16th,  1780. 

**  By  the  latest  intelligence  ifom  Scusneetauy,  vrs  srs  intonnsu  tnst  »jir  John  Johnson, 
(who  styles  himself  Lieut,  colonel  commanding  the  King's  Royal  Yorkers,  in  the  parcels 


FULTON  COUNTY. 


105 


S^h^ wf iV^  prifonanOon Loid'. day eTaning, tha 31rt nit, mada hi. fint ippamioa 

WiS  r;  A^"*  '»5'»f  «*.  th«y  b«J5«»  to  barn  ail  Uia  hooM.  axoapt  thoaa  of  tha  torij 
tt^r'^A^t^"^"  Putnam'.,  below  Tripa'.  Hill,  and  oontinuad  burning  to  Anth^S 

2i^'.^  'u*'T*'  T*"^^  ■/'^  ^'''«''>  ^y  t*»«  ^'P'"«»  of  th«  people  wara  St  oat 

after  tha  anamy  had  Mt  tham  on  fira.  There  have  bain  burnt  33  hoii«  and  ont-hoiZ 
Md  a  mill ;  many  cattle  were  killed  in  tha  field,  and  60  or  70  .heap  bunit  to  a  fc^ 
Eleven  per^n.  wen,  killed  Col.  Fi.her  [Vi«char]'and  hi.  two  ta,the«  fJSiSth  SS 
Sl^In^XiT^""  ^V*''^'*':^''"  "'•"  ^"'••' ''»•' •o»'P«'»  i  the  colonel  went  up^^ 
iundJji  ti^'''  ••"*  ^?'«  ojerpowered,  wa.  knoclied  down  and  ^jalpad!  rS^^ 
SL  wt^i^  hou-e-eet  It  on  fire,  and  then  went  off.  The  colonel  recoviringa  littMhoS 
inZ^!!^!*J  ^t  """""y  ^"^  '*"''' '"'  P""'"^  o"*  of ''"  <>•"«>  brothew  out  o?  tha  hoMa  thS 

£at  Co?  U  h'  ,""••»'  ''""  """'T'^  '"  I'*"  '»•'"■*•  J'  ••  -"'d  that  tha  doctom  haTho«2 
that  C<rf.  FiBher  will  recover.  Hi.  mother  had  a  narrow  encape  for  her  life,  beinir  kn  ™C 
on  her  head  by  an  Indian ;  but  .ha  i.  like  to  do  wall.    Cant.  Han^^wa.  kiUed  bvw  In 

2u  M^'ponl'Z"'^  ^"  ""'^  '•y  *^'",  ^*'*'  kindne«i,'and  p?^^rmuch  ^t 
for  the  alaZlTM  *  v  ""i;?™' P"'*-  "f  l,i.  head  with  a  tomahawk.    Had  it  ^t  been 

«vi»  haS^h/«u';:jTl"'''''rt'''yr™'^°"'''  have  been  butchered  by  their 
■avaga  hand.;  he  alarmed  the  people  along  the  way  to  Cauirhnawaira.  who  bv  crowoff 

S^lirc^J^t^^  "r  J""t?  """**  *"^''«  ™«hief  to  the^^Sdi^JawLT^S^* 
ffi?  and  aLt^r  a'""""^  '"J'^Tl ".""  »'  ""^  """""'O'' !  ^^en  John«,n  dug  up  hk 
b^lSoriSThTn^  ""I.^'YI^I  '^•'  ®'"''''**  ^""h-  «hout  four  mile,  that  evening.'^  h2 

whh  him  He  t^ZKS"  ""^  ^."  "  •* '  ""^""'  "^  *•"  »«•"""•  •"»«»  other,  hay?  gone 
Ik-„  i,  1  J  J  .  J?^™'*'S^  "o™*  of  hi.  priMuers  to  return  on  parole.  Hi.  whole  force 
when  he  landed  at  Crown  Point,  i.  n>id  to  be  about  500  men,  aoHf  them  BriSh  «S  of 
h..  own  regiment,  and  Indian..  Capt.  Putnam  and  four  men  foZved  the™  in  £S;  SS^af 
^ZiTr.u^'"  Z"^,'"  ^^'^  Champlain.  He  «»w  him  24  S  Km  Joh^n  S 
Some  think  they  will  take  their  route  to  Cwagatchie  ;  but  thi.  Nam.  l«Z,SbirMSev 
have  not  provBion.  .uflScient  with  them.  H^i  excellency  the  ^ororiT  hS  co  l"lS  J 
body  of  mUitia  to  intercept  their  way  to  Lake  Champlain ;  a  nuE"aU  "rSbad 
from  tha  New  Himpehire  grant,  for  the  «une  purpoU :  Col.  Van  SchS^th  800  me? 
™^»r""n'S^'*'?ll'^^*''»''''y"^-^°'''»'°''°-  wThear  that  the  anamy  rad22,°Si 
much  .welled  by  their  long  march  ;  and  being  greatly  fi,tigued,  it  i.  h W  om  oeonla  imTv 
come  up  with  and  give  a  good  account  of  the*fiaut  colonS^and  hiLmSSariJitttP'^ 

In  the  summer  of  1781,  another  expedition  was  sent  against  Johns- 
town.    1  his  was  conducted  with  so  much  secrecy,  that  on  the  24th 
ot  Uct.,  the  enemy,  about  one  thousand  in  number,  under  Majors  Ross 
and  Uutler,  were  upon  the  settlement  at  Warrensbush  before  their 
approach  was  suspected.     Col.  Willet,  who  was  at  Fort  Rensselaer 
about  twenty  miles  distant,  on  hearing  the  news,  immediately  marched 
tor  i-ort  Hunter,  which  he  reached  early  on  the  following  mominij 
with  aU  the  forces  he  could  muster,  being  but  416  men  in  all.    When 
he  arnved  here,  he  learned  that  Ross  and  Butler  had  the  preceding 
day  crossed  the  river  some  distance  below  Tripe's  Hill,  and  arrived 
at  Johnstown  about  the  middle  of  the  day,  killing  and  taking  the  peo- 
pie  prisoners,  destroying  buildings  and  cattle  on  their  way.    Having 
effected  the  passage  of  the  river.  Col.  Willet  pushed  on  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy.     Having  ascertained  their  position,  he  detached  Major 
Kowley,  of  Massachusetts,  with  part  of  his  force,  by  a  circuitous 
march,  to  fall  upon  the  rear  of  the  enemy  while  he  attacked  them  in 
tront,  a  short  distance  above  the  HaU.    The  battle  became  spirited 
and  general,  hut  the  militia  under  Col.  Willet  gave  way,  and  ran  in 
the  utmost  confusion  to  the  stone  church  in  the  village.    Here  the 
colonel  succeeded  in  bringing  them  to  a  halt.    But  the  defeat  would 
have  been  complete,  had  not  Major  Rowley,  at  this  period  of  the  ac- 
tion, emerged  from  the  woods  and  fell  ujpon  the  enemy's  rear  in  the 

14 


IQ0  rULTOM   COUNTY. 

▼ery  moment  of  their  exultation  at  their  easy  victory.  The  fight 
was  now  maintained  on  both  sides  with  obstinacy  till  near  sunset, 
when  Willet  was  enabled  to  collect  a  respectable  force,  with  which 
he  returned  to  the  field,  and  again  mingled  in  the  fight.  The  battle 
was  kept  up  till  dark,  when  the  enemy,  pressed  on  all  sides,  fled  in 
disorder  to  the  woods— nor  stopped  short  of  a  mountain  six  miles 
distant.  The  loss  of  the  Americans  in  this  conflict  was  about  forty. 
The  enemy  lost  about  the  same  number  killed,  and  about  fifty  pris- 
oners. 

"  Maior  Rose  retreated  up  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk,  marching  all  night,  after  the 
battle.  In  the  morning  he  was  pursued  by  Col.  Willet,  but  was  not  overtaken.  The  re- 
Kion  of  country  over  which  Ross  retreated,  after  he  had  passed  the  settlenieute,  lies  twenty 
or  thirty  miles  north  of  Fort  Scliuyler,  and  at  that  time  was  uncultivated  and  desolate. 
His  army  suffered  much  from  hunger.— It  was  on  this  retreat  that  Walter  Butler  waa 
killed:  he  was  pursued  by  a  small  party  of  Oneida  Indians ;  when  he  arrived  at  West 
Canada  creek,  about  15  miles  above  Herkimer,  he  swam  his  horse  across  the  stream,  and 
then  turning  round,  defied  his  pursuers,  who  were  on  the  opposite  side.  An  Oneida  imme- 
diately  discharged  his  rifle  and  wounded  him  ;  he  fell.  Throwing  down  his  "Ae  «">«»  »>» 
blanket,  the  Indian  plunged  into  the  creek  and  swam  across  ;  as  soon  as  he  had  gained 
the  opposite  bank,  he  raised  his  tomahawk,  and  with  a  yell,  sprang  like  a  tiger  upon  h* 
fallen  foe.  Butler  supplicated,  though  in  vain,  for  mercy  ;  the  Oneida,  with  his  upHned 
axe,  shouted  in  his  broken  English,  '  SA-srry  Valley!  remember  Sherry  Valley!  and 
then  buried  it  in  his  brains:  he  tore  the  scalp  from  the  head  of  his  victim  still  quivering 
in  the  agonies  of  death,  and  ere  the  remainder  of  the  Oneidas  had  joined  him,  the  spirit 
of  Walter  Butler  had  gone  to  give  up  its  account.  The  place  where  he  crossed  is  called 
Butler'B  Ford  to  this  A9.y."—CampbelV*  Annals  of  Tryon  County. 


The  above  is  a  copy  of  a  kind  of  diploma,  in  possession  of  the 
New  York  Historical  Society,  which  it  would  seem  the  Johnson  fam- 
ily were  in  the  habit  of  giving  to  those  Indians  in  whom  they  confided. 
In  the  vignette,  a  British  officer  is  seen  presenting  a  medal,  or  some- 
thing resembling  it,  to  an  Indian  dressed  in  the  aboriginal  style, — 
the  council  fire,  the  pipe  of  peace,  the  chain  of  friendship,  &c.,  are 
all  represented.  • 

••  By  the  Honorable  Sii  William  Joboson,  Bart.,  Hit  Majeaty's  sole  Agent  and  Super* 


i 


OKNB8KB   COVNTY. 


107 


intondent  of  Indian  Afihin  for  the  Northern  Department  of  North  America.  Colonel  of 
the  Six  United  Nation*,  their  AUiee  and  Dependante,  &,c.  &c. 

"To  WHBRiAt,  I  have  recelTed  repeated  proofs  of  your  attachment  to  hia 

Bntannio  Majerty  a  Intereata  and  Zeal  for  hia  aervico  upon  sundry  occasions,  more  par- 
ticularly  I  do  therefore  give  you  this  public  Testimonial  thereof,  aa  a  proof 

of  his  Majesty  s  Eateem  and  Approbation,  Declaring  you,  the  said  to  be  a 

of  your  and  recommending  it  to  all  his  Majesty's  Subjects  and  faithful  Indian  Al- 

lies  to  Treat  and  consider  you  upon  all  occasions  agreeable  to  your  character,  Station  and 
services.   Oivkn  under  my  hand  and  aeal  at  Arms  at  Johnson  Hall  the      dav  of       17 

By  Command  of  Sir  W :  Johnson.  ^ 


GENESEE  COUNTY. 

Genesee  county  was  taken  from  Ontario  in  1802,  and  has  since 
been  much  reduced  by  the  formation  of  several  counties  from  it  • 
centrally  distant  from  New  York  321,  from  Albany  258  miles.  This 
county  pertams  to  the  great  plain  of  the  west,  and  forms  with  Wyo- 
ming the  highest  portion  of  it.  Upon  the  west,  the  streams  run  to 
Lake  Lne,  and  on  the  east  to  the  Genesee  river :  as  in  limestone 
countries  generally,  the  streams  are  subject  to  much  fluctuation. 
Ihe  soil  IS  generally  highly  fertile,  and  produces  as  fine  crops  of 
wheat  as  any  part  of  the  state.  By  the  recent  erection  of  Wyoming 
county  from  the  southern  portion,  this  county  is  reduced  to  twelve 
towns,  viz. : 


Pavilion, 

Pembroke, 

Stafford. 


It  and  Super. 


Alabama,  Bergen,  Darien, 

Alexander,  Bethany,  Elba, 

Batavia,  Byron,  Le  Roy, 

Batavia,  the  shire  village,  is  by  the  railroad  283  miles  W.  of  Al- 
bany. It  contams  about  300  houses,  mostly  on  a  single  street  up- 
wards ofa  mile  long,  the  county  buildings,  the  state  arsenal,  the  oflice 
of  the  Holland  Land  Company,  6  churches,  2  banks,  3  printing 
offices,  and  a  female  seminary.  This  place  has  acquired  some 
celebrity  from  its  being  the  place  from  whence  William  Morgan  was 
abducted  in  1826,  for  attempting  to  reveal  the  secrets  of  Free-Ma- 
sonry. 

The  following  is  an  eastern  view  of  the  office  of  the  Holland  Land 
Company  m  Batavia,  about  80  rods  northward  from  the  court- 
house. The  state  of  New  York,  in  1786,  granted  the  state  of  Massa- 
chusetts more  than  six  million  acres  of  her  western  territory,  which 
that  state  sold  to  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham  for  one  mil- 
lion of  dollars.  These  gentlemen  soon  after  extinguished  the  In- 
dian title  to  a  part  of  this  territory;  they  surveyed  it  into  tracts,  de- 
nominated ranges  and  townships,  and  sold  large  parcels  to  specu- 
lators and  actual  settlers.  In  1790,  they  sold  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
residue  of  the  survey,  1,204,000  acres,  to  Robert  Morris,  of  Philadel- 
phia, for  eight  pence  the  acre,  who  resold  it  to  Sir  William  Pullney. 
Phelps  and  Gorham  being  unable  to  fulfil  their  contract  in  full  with 
Massachusetts,  compromised  and  surrendered  that  part  of  the  land  to 


( 


lOd 


GREENE   COUNTY. 


Office  of  the  Holland  Land  Company. 

which  the  Indian  title  was  unextineuished  ;  in  consideration  of  wliich, 
the  state  rehnquished  two-thirds  of  the  contract  price.  In  1796,  Rob- 
ert Morris  purchased  from  the  state  this  portion  also — extinguished  the 
Indian  title — sold  off  several  large  tracts  upon  the  east  side,  and  along 
the  Genesee,  and  mortgaged  the  residue  to  Wilhem  Willink,  of  Am- 
sterdam, and  11  associates,  called  the  *' Holland  Land  Company'^ 
This  company,  by  the  foreclosure  of  the  mortgage,  acquired  full  title 
to  the  land,  surveyed  it,  and  opened  their  first  land-ofl&ce  in  Batavia  in 
1801.  "  Having  sold  a  large  proportion  of  the  country,  they,  in  1805, 
conveyed  the  residue  of  the  wild  lands  to  several  companies,  who  have 
undertaken  to  retail  them." 

Le  Roy  village,  on  Allen's  creek,  10  miles  E.  of  Batavia,  was 
founded  jn.1810,  by  Mr.  Le  Roy,  and  incorporated  in  1834.  Jt 
contains  about  250  dwellings,  4  churches,  and  a  female  seminary.  Al- 
exander, 8  miles  S.  of  Batavia,  is  a  village  of  about  80  dwellings,  2 
churches,  a  bank,  and  a  flourishing  incorporated  classical  school. 


GREENE  COUNTY. 

Greene  county,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson  river,  was  taken 
from  Ulster  and  Albany  counties  in  1 800  ;  greatest  length  42  miles ; 
greatest  breadth  on  the  Hudson  28  miles;  centrally  distant  from 
New  York  130,  and  from  Albany  35  miles.  The  surface  is  every- 
where hilly,  and  the  larger  portion  mountainous.  The  Cattskill 
mountains,  after  following  the  southern  boundary  of  the  county  in  an 
easterly  direction  to  the  southeast  angle,  turn  north  and  northwest,  and 
pass  nearly  through  the  centre  of  the  county  into  Schoharie.  The 
general  elevation  of  this  range  is  from  2,000  to  2,500  feet  above  the 
adjacent  country  ;  while  many  of  the  peaks  are  elevated  from  3,000  to 
3,800  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Hudson.  Round  Top  has  an  eleva- 
tion of  3.718  feet.  High  Peak  3,804,  and  Pine  Orchard  3,000  feet. 
The  whole  southwestern  part  of  the  county  is  hilly  and  mountainous, 


GRE£NK    COUNTY. 


109 


yet  it  affords  a  fine  soil  for  pastures,  with  some  arable  land  The 
northeas  em  and  eastern  parts  of  the  county  are  le^rh Xfnd  have 
many  valleys,  nch  and  extensive.  Much  attention  is  pi^3^\o  a«rS 
n  the  I^'tKo'  ?  '"^""f^ctured  in  this  than  in  an^y  other  c^inty 
m  the  state.    The  county  was  originally  settled  by  the  Dutch.   A  larce 

nr°"'i''*'''''''  ^i  i'^"  P'^^^^"^  inhabitants  are  of  S  Endand 
vS  in't:"n  ZlnT'  '"  ""^^"^^  ^"^  '"^"^^^y-    ^^^  --^y  -"^ 

Ca  skill         ?I      u  fe«^i"S'on,  Wim  mm. 

^atiskill,        Greenville,  New-BaJlimore, 


Northwestern  view  of  Catskill 

leei  m  neignt.     1  he  annexed  engrav  n?  is  a  NW  viVw  of  *ul  % 
as  seen  from  an  elevation  called  Ash  pv  HJH  1*  ^^*      T  °^*^®  ^'"*Se, 
The  drawbridge  over  he  SiU      ^        '  a  Us  northern  extremity. 

the  passage  oJKj'sle  di   a^L  ab^e^r  tV'^'^^'  l"^.^"  ^^"^^ 
makes  a  |ood  harL  fS  sliom     »n^     i         ^*i^  .™°"^^  °^  ^^^  creek 


■^ 


^.1«5S. 


"i'M^W 


110 


ORESNE   COUNTY. 


H 


near  its  eastern  boundary,  12  miles  west  from  Catskill  village.  The 
road  from  the  village  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  9  miles,  has  little 
of  interc  t.  The  ascent  of  the  mountain  is  by  a  good  though  circui- 
tous road  of  3  miles,  but  which,  often  running  upon  the  brink  of  a  deep 
ravine,  or  beneath  frowning  precipices,  excites  an  unwelcome  degree 
of  terror.  The  hotel,  erected  by  •  The  Kaatskill  Mountain  Associa- 
tion,' at  the  cost  of  822,000,  is  on  »  circular  platform  of  rock,  140  feet 
I  by  24,  4  stories  high,  with  piazzas  in  front,  and  a  wing  for  lodging 
rooms,  and  is  duly  fitted  and  furnished  for  the  accommodation  ot  its 
numerous  guests. 


Catskill  Mountain  House. 

"The  prospect  from  this  rock  is  more  extensive  and  diversified 
than,  perhaps,  from  any  other  point  in  the  United  States.  Petty  ine- 
qualities disappear,  and  the  whole  surrounding  country  is  spread  out 
as  a  plain.  The  eye  roves,  in  endless  gratification,  over  farms,  vil- 
lages, towns,  and  cities,  stretching  between  the  Green  mountains  of 
Vermont  on  the  north  and  the  Highlands.  The  Hudson  river,  with  its 
green  isles  and  thousand  sheets  of  white  canvass,  becomes  visible  for 
60  miles  in  a  clear  atmosphere.  At  times,  a  thick  curtain  of  clouds 
of  ever-changing  form,  veils  the  region  of  lower  earth  from  sight ;  and 
in  their  respective  seasons,  storms  of  rain  and  snow  spend  their  force 
in  mid  air,  beneath  the  rays  of  a  bright  sun  which  gilds  the  mountain 
above  them.  The  scene,  when  gradually  unfolded  with  the  day,  is 
most  enchanting. 

"  A  few  years  since  this  delightful  position  was  almost  unknown  and 
rarely  visited  ;  but  the  reports  of  the  extent,  beauty,  and  grandeur  of 
its  prospects,  and  the  salubrity  of  its  atmosphere,  at  length  fixed  pub- 
lic attention.    The  number  of  visiters  at  each  successive  season  in- 


RAMILTOir  COUNTY. 


Ill 


l^Vn^'  i  *«  j«'»P°™7  buildings  at  first  erected  gave  place  to  the 
edifice  we  have  described.  The  following  heights  ?n  thrmountain 
^CTxf'T  ^Capt  Partridge:  Afopntain  hoL  2,^  fee" 
above  the  ifudson  ;  1,888  feet  above  Lawrence's  tavern  :  1  647  feet 

GrSstid'r^^^^  '''''  "  ^'^  ''''  ''  ''''  "^°-^-'  -d  947  ab^Te 

flnl'^'"?  ^''?'V  ^^^  ^°^^'  ^^  ^''^  Kaaterskill  Falls,  upon  a  stream 

?„7  If  ^^°"V T  ^^^'''  T^  ''^°"»  "  «>"«  and  a  half  in  cifcumfereScr 

Tmile  and'-  h  ^[f";.'  '"  '^'^  ""Tn^^  ''^^  ^°"««-    After  a  wes"rur,e  of 
a  mile  and  a  half,  the  waters  fall  perpendicularly  175  feet,  and  oaus- 

this  S'  r  ^*  '^'  •'^^'"  .^"f ""'  °f  ^*^«  <^«^'«™^t  260  feet.  Below 
!,.  .?  i   '.u*"^  current  18  lost  in  the  dark  ravine  or  clove  through  which 

"ess  for 'i%''"'y  ""^^^^  ^'''i^l:  The  water-fall.  with  auttd- 
From  Zed^^e  of  ?h«'  fi^^H  '^  V^V^/^^i'"*  ^«»*"^«"  ^^  »his  scene, 
fide™  Svere§  whh  H„i"'-^'"'  'j  ^f^^'^  ^  ^^^^  ^hasm,  whose  steep 

^lZZ:itot::'''1t'''''''^'''''  '  perjLSr  desJen 
4M  feet  in  100  r^l'  and  the  stream  descends  fn  rapids  and  cascades 
j^uv  leei  m  100  rods.    The  Kaaterskill  has  a  devious  and  verv  ranid 

areTest  sl°"f  ^  ^i'?' ''  ^^^  ^atskiU,  near  the  village  ffi  ?a^^ 
are  best  seen  froin  below ;  and  the  view  from  the  Pine  Orchard  « 
better^etween  3  o'clock,  P.  M.  and  at  sunset,  tha^  in  "he  mS^of 

of  ^i!^^u  L'"*^®  ^^^  incorporated  in  1805.  It  lies  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Hudson  opposite  tTie  city  of  Hudson;  from  New  York  116 
from  Albany  29  miles.  It  is  beautifully  situated,  exTendfn^  alomr  the 
shore  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  is  viewed  advkntageSyS  the 
c  V  of  Hudson  [See  view  of  Hudson.]  The  northern  section  of  he 
village  was  laid  out  about  1790,  by  Edward  Livingston  Brockholst 
t'lZZf^""  Chauncey  Goodrich,  and  associat^es?  he  soutK 

and  otLs^    The  ^IW^^'  ^''"'"^•''"  '^^^"^"^^^'  ^^^^'^  H^^C 
i^n^    ir'     ^  he  village  now  contains  several  churches,  and  about 
150  dwellings     It  is  a  place  of  much  business,  and  its  na  uS  a£. 
tages  are  such,  that  in  time  it  must  be  one  of  considerabri^porS 
A  ferry  phes  constantly  between  it  and  Hudson  ™Poriance. 


season  in- 


HAMILTON  COUNTY.  ' 

Hamilton  county  was  provisionally  erected,  in  1816  from  thp  N 

end  of  Montgomery  county,  but  not  organized.  '  I^emained^tS 

->-merj  vOUxx^j,  uuid  Io38;  when,  by  tiie  division  of  Mont- 


lit 


MERKIMIR   COONTY. 


gnmery,  it  became  attached  to  Fulton  county.  Il  >"  not  yet  lepjarately 
organized  ;  though  probably  from  its  flouriBhing  condition  it  will  soon 
become  detached  from  Fulton.  It  is  62  miles  long  N.  and  S.,  and 
with  an  average  breadth,  E.  and  W.,  of  30  miles ;  centrally  distant 
from  New  York  260,  and  from  Albany,  westerly,  105  miles.  This 
county  contains  7  towns : 

Arietta,  Hope,  Long  Lake,  Wells. 

Oilman,  Lake  Pleasant,      Morehouse, 

The  whole  middle  and  northern  section  of  this  county  is  yet  an  un- 
broken wilderness.  It  has  a  number  of  lakes  abounding  with  trout  and 
other  fish  of  a  delicious  flavor,  and  they  are  becoming  a  place  of  much 
resort  to  the  angler  and  sportsman.  Its  mineral  resources  are  as  yet 
little  known,  but  there  is  no  doubt  of  the  existence  of  iron  ore,  and 
many  other  valuable  minerals. 


HERKIMER  COUNTY. 

Herkimer  county  was  originally  constituted  in  1791.  Greatest 
length  N.  and  S.  90,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  23  miles.  Centrally 
distant  from  New  York  260,  from  Albany  115  miles.  This  county 
hat  a  broken  and  diversified  aspect.  South  of  the  Mohawk,  within 
this  county,  is  the  great  dividing  ridge  separating  the  waters  of  the 
Mohawk  from  those  of  the  Susquehannah.  A  high  ranee  of  hills 
extends  across  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk  at  the  Little  Falls,  and  the 
whole  county  north  of  the  Mohawk  is  of  a  mountainous  character. 
Most  of  the  county  south  of  the  MohaWk,  and  for  many  miles  north 
of  it,  is  under  cultivation,  which  the  greater  portion  of  the  hills  will 
admit  of  to  their  summits.  There  is  a  variety  of  soil,  but  the  greater 
part  of  the  county  is  better  adapted  for  grass  than  grain.  The  exten- 
sive alluvial  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  those  of  some  of  the  smaller 
streams,  are  among  the  finest  grain  lands  in  the  slate.  The  norlhern 
part  of  the  county  is  elevated,  and  covered  with  extensive  forests  of 
evergreens  and  marshes,  and  is  of  a  cold  and  sterile  soil.  The  Mo- 
hawk river  runs  across  its  whole  width. 

The  lands  of  this  county  were  oricinally  granted  in  large  tracts ; 
such  were  the  "  Royal  Grant,"  to  Sir  William  Johnson,  embracing  the 
country  between  the  East  and  West  Canada  creeks  ;  the  "  Jerserfield 
patent,"  covering  a  larger  portion  of  the  northern  part  of  the  county, 
made  in  1770 ;  the  "  German  Flats  patent,"  granted  in  1725,  and 
others.    The  county  has  19  towns,  viz. : 


Columbia, 

Herkimer, 

Norway, 

Starks, 

Danube, 

Litchfield, 

Ohio, 

Warren, 

Fairfield, 

Little  Falls, 

Russia, 

Wilmurt, 

Frankfort, 

Manheim, 

Salisbury, 

Winfield. 

German  Flats. 

Newport, 

Schuyler, 

MBSKIMIK   COUNTY. 


lit 


The  following  shows  ihe  appearance  of  the  Tillaffe  aa  seen  imm  -« 
•levauon  r.«ng  from  the  .otith  bank  of  the  Mohfwk  aTthe  eS 


View  of  Herkimer,  from  the  Erie  Canal. 

1825'  an3"!*i!"'N'^"**"*'  '^^^  ^'"*««  ^^^  incorporated  in  1807- 
ibov^  ?h«  ^"''^°"  a  gravelly  plain  elevated  .ome  10  or  16  feet 
Dayton  Vrvlt^  flats,  occupying  the  site  of  the  ancient  Fort 
buiEs  1  n^J^hTr""'?  of  "Pr'^ds  of  100  dwellings,  the  county 

anJtSrf^T^lt^^^jsrSf^^^        -^- 

numwiS"3l'Zel:,to  J^'::'d%L^^^^^^  «>  the  «H.th  Id.  of  Um,  rfva, 

together  wilh  a.  m«ny  ba^T.  knd  o  herorZlSS  *"  .'^"'''  ""T^'  "P""  **•  ""rt**  «*'«•. 
for  the  number  of  hoL,,^unXeZT  rtiTA^''^  u*?""'  '""'*     ^he  population 
had  that  year  brought  forthVCdfuh.  «thi^^^Jl"''  »'y  ""t"".  «nd  weU  cultivated 
products.  *  '  nandluli ,  w  that  the  banu  were  amply  itored  with  their 

trir;rwi*t"„t"b;'t?eTdi;"j;s^^^  ^^  f^^o^ 

however,  the  invaeionwM  attended  with  th^^^^  Mot  providentidly. 

outright,  and  another,  named  MoOi„^.  •  u^-  ".*  ^T  ''^••-OM  man  bemg  killed 
hoetife  irruption  were  th^wEnterta  n?^™'''**  "»  '^«  ««""««•  The  partiooluaV  tW. 
dilla,  a  «coSt  of  fou7merh'jSerdShT?  T.^h'T?  ■"'•  ^'?°»' '''«»  »"  •»  ^na- 
of  these  men  were  kihed  at  th^Prf^^^       ».""**  '''•''•c^ty  «»  oh«»vation.    Three 

ceeded  in  making^hS't'a^^^i^d^rtS  t^ KX  .t'h'rif'rJ'  •"t.""'""ji  "^ 
jurt  in  time  to  announce  that  Brant/with  a  li^  iSllv  „f  t  5?  ''°"'  before  .unsown, 
would,  in  a  few  houra,  be  upon  them  A  I  „t.^  ^  °f  '"**"'  ^"  advancing,  and 
wttlement;  and  the  inhaEt^ln'^orn  indTlH**'"'  ""*  "''T  '^''^  "*. 
Dayton  and  Herkimer  forwcuri^T  flvk^  to^Jo«  ??"~''''.u  '^^'""^  '"'«  <■«»*• 
moet  valuable  of  their  stuff,  and  bv  meaw  rfli^.  T  ^''^*'''^'  ^^oy  gathered  up  the 
in  the  cou»e  of  the  evening.Tn  coCtinTatZln  **  ""JT'T"  "■*  "'**'  -^ceeded. 
But  they  had  no  time  to  loo'k  afler  S'fl^ctKil.''' ''•"  ""'  "*""~  '"'"^'^ 
camJ^r^^SS^Ta^--^ 

-  ... .«,  :n=aa  oaoemaKer.  where  the  younger  BuUe,  andhi  ^'^^cifiZ,;^^ 

15 


I 


i. 


m 


114 


HERKIMER   COUNTY. 


preceding  year.  Here  the  chieftain  lay  with  his  warriors  until  the  storm  broke  away  to- 
wards  morning — unconsciouB  that  his  approach  had  been  notified  to  the  people  by  the 
scout  in  season  to  enable  them  to  escape  the  blow  of  his  uplifted  arm.  Before  the  dawn 
he  was  on  foot,  and  his  warriors  were  sweeping  through  the  settlement ;  so  that  the  torch 
might  be  almost  simultaneously  applied  to  every  building  it  contained.  Just  as  the  day 
was  breaking  in  the  east,  the  fires  were  kindled,  and  the  whole  section  of  the  valley  was 
speedily  illuminated  by  the  flames  of  houses  and  burns,  and  all  things  else  combustible. 
The  spectacle,  to  the  people  in  the  forts,  was  one  of  melancholy  grandeur.  Every  family 
saw  the  flames  and  smoke  of  its  own  domicil  ascending  to  the  skies,  and  every  farmer  the 
whole  product  of  his  labor  for  the  season  dissolving  into  ashes. 

"  Having  no  fire-arms  larger  than  their  rifles,  the  Indians  avoided  even  a  demonstra- 
tion against  the  forts,  notwithstanding  their  chagrin  that  neither  scalps  nor  prisoners  were 
to  grace  their  triumph.  But  as  the  light  of  day  advanced,  their  warriors  were  seen  singly, 
or  in  small  groups,  scouring  the  fields,  and  driving  away  all  the  liorseB,  sheep,  and  black 
cattle  that  could  be  found.  Nothing  upon  which  they  could  lay  their  hands  was  left ;  and 
the  settlement,  which,  but  the  day  before,  for  ten  miles  had  smiled  in  plenty  and  in  beauty, 
was  now  houseless  and  destitute.  Happily,  however,  of  human  life  there  was  no  greater 
sacrifice  than  has  already  been  mentioned.  After  the  Indians  had  decamped  with  their 
booty,  a  force  of  between  300  and  400  militia-men  collected,  and  went  in  pursuit — follow- 
ing as  far  as  Edmoston's  plantation  on  the  Unadilla  river,  where  the  bodies  of  the  three 
scouts  were  found  and  buried.    But  no  other  results  attended  this  expedition." 


Il^IljIuIl^I 


-"m^ 


'mm\ 


Southern  view  of  part  of  the  Village  of  Little  Falls. 

The  engraving  shows  a  southern  view  of  part  of  the  village  as 
seen  from  a  point  about  20  rods  below  the  aqueduct  over  the  Mo- 
hawk. The  village  consists  of  upwards  of  300  dwellings,  5  churches 
— viz.,  1  Presbyterian,  1  Baptist,  I  Episcopal,  1  Methodist,  and  1  Cath- 
olic— a  bank,  an  academy,  2  newspaper  printing  offices,  and  various 
manufacturing  establishments.  The  village  is  supplied  with  water 
brought  from  a  spring  in  the  granite  mountain,  300  feet  above  the 
tops  of  the  houses.  The  singular  building  with  a  spire,  seen  in  me 
engraving  on  the  left,  on  elevated  ground,  is  the  oldest  church  in  the 
village,  formerly  used  by  the  Scotch  Presbyterians,  but  now  occupied 
by  the  Catholics. 

"  This  spot  is  remarkable  for  the  passage  of  the  Mohawk  river 
through  the  mountain  barrier ;  for  its  wild  and  picturesque  scenery  ; 
and  for  the  difficulties  which  have  been  overcome  in  constructing  the 
Erie  canal  ihruugh  the  pass.     Il  receives  ihe  name  ui  liie  Liuie  I'Vlis, 


HERKIMER   COUNTY. 


115 


in  contradistinction  to  the  Great  Falls  at  Cahoes.  The  falls  extend 
upon  the  river  about  three  fourths  of  a  mile,  descending  in  that  dfs- 
tance  42  feet,  and  consist  of  two  long  rapids  separated  by  a  stretch 
of  deep  water,  occupying  each  about  tL  fourth  of  a  mile.^  The  S 
per  rapids  are  most  considerable.  Above  them  a  dam  across  tlie 
stream  renders  ,t  placid  over  which  the  waters,  separated  by  a  small 
island,  form  beautiful  low  cascades,  falling  into  a  Jeep  pool  beneath 
whence  the  current  rushes,  murmuring  and  foaming,  over  ridges  and 
amorphous  masses  of  granite  and  gneiss  rock,  flowing  with  compar- 

thp'^Jr   "'''  ^^T^^  *^'  overarching  bridge  and  aqueduct,  and 
thence  hurrying  with  new  impetuosity,  over  the  stony  bed  below 

This  waterfall  would  be  beautiful  anywhere  ;  but  it  acquires 
grandeur  here  from  the  high  hills  which  confine  it,  and  whTcI  the 
slightest  observation  teaches  us  have  been  cut  down  by  its  ever  en- 
during  and  iiresistible  force.  The  defile  is  two  miles^long,  with  a 
medial  breadth  of  one  hundred  rods.  On  either  bank,  the^  hTlI  on 
which  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees  are  pleasingly  intermine  ed 
rises  from  360  to  400  feet,  and  the  fall,  ove?  which  may  Uve  once 
poured  the  waters  of  Lake  Ontario,  may  have  had  a  very  little  infe! 
nor  altitude  A  mound,  raised  here  to  the  height  of  70  feet,  would 
now  cause  the  waters  to  overflow  the  Rome  summit,  and  send  them 
again  by  Wood  creek  and  the  Oneida  lake  to  Ontario. 

1  he  Erie  canal  descends  this  pass  by  5  locks,  40  feet  in  the  distance 
ot  one  mile,  and  the  time  of  the  passage  permits  the  traveller  in  boats 
to  view,  leisurely,  the  natural  scenery  and  artificial  improvements." 

The  village  of  Fairfield,  8  miles  N.  of  Little  Falls,  has  about  50 
dwellings  3  churches,  the  Fairfield  Academy,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
state  and  the  Medical  College  of  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the 
Western  District  Newport  village,  about  10  miles  N.  of  Herkimer. 
*8  ^  nourishing  place,  having  upwards  of  60  dwellings 

About  2  miles  eastward  of  Little  Falls  is  the  house  of  Gen  Herki- 
mer, where  he  died  after  the  battle  of  Oriskany  :  he  was  buried  a  few 
rods  from  his  house,  in  a  family  burying-ground,  without  a  monument 
to  tell  where  he  lies. 

The  battle  of  Oriskany  was  fought  on  the  6th  of  Aug.,  1777  •  and 
Gen.  Herkimer  did  not  long  survive  his  wound.     The  following  ac 
county  ot   his  last  moments,  and  his  character,  is  taken  from  Col 
fetone  s  interesting  account  in  his  Life  of  Brant,  vol.  L 

T  iHi"lrT  *'°»^*'y?'?  t»  h"  "wn  house  near  the  Mohawk  river,  a  few  miles  below  the 
Little  Falls  ;  where  h.s  leg,  which  had  been  shattered  5  or  Q  inphes  belowTlie  knee  wa! 
amputated  about  ten  days  after  the  battle,  by  a  young  French  sSrgeon^nThe  army  of  GeS^ 
.Arnold,  and  contrary  to  the  advice  of  the  general's  o%n  medical  adviser.  tLTaTe^Dr  Pe-* 
«  J  .  .  operation  was  unskilfully  performed,  and  it  was  found  imDossible  hv  hk 
tl'"X  w J'T'  ""^  • 'f  •  k5/  Will^called  to  see  the  generaYst,;  aCt  o/e'a" 
Sn,?nil  H  "5"?  "}  ^"  ^'  *'">  "  P'P«  '"  *>«  ™»"th,  smoking,  and  talking  in  ex- 
cellent  spintfl.     He  died  the  night  following  that  visit.    His  friend,  Col.  John  Roff  wL 

He  wt^M?"  *™P"^f,"??'  *"<»  «!ffi™<'d  that  he  bore  the  operation  with  uncommonSiTd^ 
He  was  likewise  with  him  at  the  time  of  his  death.  ThV  blood  continuing  to  flow-there 
being  no  physician  in  immediate  attendance-and  bein^  himself  HH.i«fi"d  C  "^.1--  of 
h«  departure  was  nigh,  the  veteran  directed  the  Holy  Bible  to  be  brought  iohimrile  then 
opened  .t  and  read,  m  the  ptt>Mnce  of  thoM  who  surrounded  his  bed,  with  all  the  com^u^« 


116 


JEFFERSON   COUNTT. 


whieh  it  wai  po«ibIe  for  any  man  to  exhibit,  the  38th  psalm— applying  it  to  hia  own  aitna- 
tion.  He  soon  afterward  expired  ;  and  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  the  annala  of 
man  furnish  a  more  atriking  example  of  Christian  heroism — calm,  deliberate,  and  firm  in 
the  hour  of  death — than  is  presented  in  this  remariiable  instance.  Of  the  early  history  of 
Gen.  Herkimer,  but  little  is  known.  It  has  been  already  stated  that  his  family  was  one  of 
the  first  of  the  Germans  who  planted  themselves  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  And  the  massive 
■tone  mansion,  yet  standing  at  German  Flatts,  bespeaks  its  early  opulence.  He  was  an 
uneducated  man — with,  if  possible,  less  skill  in  letters,  even  than  Gen.  Putnam,  which  ia 
aaying  much.  But  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  man  of  strong  and  vigorous  understanding- 
destitute  of  some  of  the  essential  requisites  of  generalship,  but  of  the  most  cool  and  dauntless 
oourage.  These  traits  were  all  strikingly  disclosed  in  the  brief  and  bloody  expedition  to 
Oriskany.  But  he  must  have  been  well  acquainted  with  that  most  important  of  all  books — 
The  Bible.  Norscould  the  most  learned  biblical  scholar,  lay  or  clerical,  have  selected  a 
portion  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  more  exactly  appropriate  to  the  situation  of  the  dying  sol- 
dier, than  that  to  which  he  himself  spontaneously  turned.  If  Socrates  died  like  a  philoso- 
pher, and  Rousseau  like  an  unbelieving  sentimentalist.  Gen.  Herkimer  died  like  a  Chris- 
tian Hero.  Congress  passed  a  resolution  requesting  the  governor  and  council  of  New 
York  to  erect  a  monument,  at  the  expense  of  the  United  States,  to  the  memory  of  this 
brave  man,  of  the  value  of  five  hundred  dollars. 

"  Sixty  years  have  since  rolled  away,  and  the  journal  of  Congress  is  the  only  monument, 
and  the  resolution  itself  the  only  inscription,  which  as  yet  testify  the  gratitude  of  the  re- 
publio  to  General  Nicholas  Herkimer." 


JEFFERSON  COUNTY. 

Jefferson  county,  taken  from  Oneida  in  1805,  is  situated  at  the 
E.  end  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  on  the  St.  Lawrence  river,  comprising 
Chaumont  bay,  and  most  of  the  islets  called  the  "  Thousand  Isles," 
and  is  a  territory  having  as  many  natural  advantages  as  any  portion  of 
the  interior  of  the  state.  It  is  centrally  distant  NW.  from  New  York 
305,  and  from  Albany  160  miles.  Length  N.  and  S.  48  miles ;  great- 
est breadth  E.  and  W.  36.  This  county  in  its  surface  is  either  quite 
level  or  agreeably  diversified,  waving  in  gentle  undulations.  Gener- 
ally, the  soil  :'s  of  a  sandy  loam  of  a  superior  quality,  with  some  gravel 
and  clay,  and  yields  abundant  crops.  The  natural  growth  of  timber  is 
luxuriant.  Originally  it  was  covered  with  trees  of  an  enormous  height. 
The  many  and  very  rapid  streams  of  this  county  furnish  an  abundance 
of  hydraulic  power.  The  cattle  sent  to  market  from  this  county  ex- 
ceed 4,000  head  per  annum.  It?  horses  are  equal  to  any  in  the  state, 
and  their  sale  is  a  source  of  much  revenue.  The  raising  of  sheep  is  a 
growing  business.  The  roads  in  the  county  are  numerous  and  good  ; 
among  which  may  be  noticed  a  turnpike  from  Brownville  to  Cape  Vin- 
cent, 21  miles,  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Ogdensburg  turnpikes,  and  the 
ff-eat  military  road  between  Sacketts  Harbor  and  Plattsburg,  on  Lake 
Champlain.  About  one  half  of  the  exports  descend  to  Montreal.  It 
is  divided  into  19  towns,  viz. : 


Adams, 

Alexandria, 

Antwerp, 

Brownville, 

Champion, 


Clayton, 
Elhsburgh, 
Henderson, 
Hounsfieki, 
L^  Ray, 


Lorraine, 

Lyme, 

Orleans, 

Pamclia, 

PhilttdttiphM, 


Rodman, 
Rutland, 
Watertowii, 
Wilna. 


1 


JBf PERSON   COUNTY.  HJ 

The  village  of  Watertown,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  the  S  side 
of  Black  river,  176  miles  from  Albany,  81  from  Utica  It  is  conn;^  p5 
wuh  the  villages  of  Williamstpwn  anJ  Juhdvl  by  bri^^^^^^^ 
ing  altogether  about  700  houses,  and  4,000  inhabitLts.  ^There  we  7 
churches,  3  banks,  a  state  arsenal,  and  the  Black  River  LiteJarv  and 
Religious  Institute  The  water  power  at  this  place  is  veri  S  and 
18  improved  by  mills  and  factories  of  various  kinds.  ^  *      ' 

m  March,  1800,  this  town  was  first  settled  by  Henry  Coffin  who 

Amiriln  H  t  *«°"*  ^'°^f  ""'^«^^y  ^^°™  th«  front  door  of  the 
who  b*lt  ^c'.ht'^^f'''  ^'  r "  J*^'"^^  ^y  Zechariah  Butterfield! 
Trn    ^^'"  .^"/abm  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  Davenport's  tavl 

Seun^v  nnl'^T  ^"^'"^^"^^^  *^r«^*  ^*  t^^""  therfamilfes 
1  he  unevenness  and  apparent  unproductiveness  of  the  soil  were  more 

Isaiah  Massay,  and  the  first  saw-miU  erected  on  the  present  sfte  of  W 

Tounl^f  T"'"^^'^-  ^^'  ^'^S^  reputadrore  Black  i^; 
counry  now  began  to  be  sounded  abfoad,  and  the  number  of  setE 
rapidly  augmented  Among  the  other  earliest  emigrars  were  Aaron 
Bacon,  Jonathan  Cowan,  two  brothers  by  the  nSie  of  Thnl. 

below  Watertown  has  upwards  of  100  dweUings,  3  chu?che..'«,d^  a 
place  of  considerable  manufacturing  business.  '  * 

oacketts  Harbor  was  incorporated  in  1821  on  tht>  SW  »iA^  ^t  ui    i 

its  name  from  him.     The  first  house  built  here.  erecTed  bv  jS 

McGwii^Tr  '^"'"^  jn  Baird-street,  and  L^'ccul^^ 

tlS^        The  jprogress  of  the  settlement  was  slow  untill812^  Afte; 

positn'Thy/T  '^''T^  ''^^"'^  ^"  i™P°^t^"t  mili  a^and  naval 

Ca  deoot    Th.'Ih°' "  •*"'  ^'''  ^1  '^'^'^^  ^°^  s^ipbuildSig  and  aia 
nava  depot.   The  above  view  w  as  taken  from  the  military  hosnitfll    Th« 

rf '^^tei!^»^«.PT^°f  ^he  harbor,  on  the  rigStKtvTn'' 

TomDkin«"Tho'i"     '1"'m!J.  '^""^^  "^'"''  ^"^  °"  the  site  of  old  Fort 
1  ompkms.    The  large  building  on  a  rocky  island  a  few  yards  from  the 


k 


r:^^7^-rrr-=^ 


lis 


JEFFERSON   COUNTY. 


Northern  view  of  Sacketts  Harbor,  N.  Y. 

shore,  is  a  ship-house,  which  covers  the  frame  of  the  "New  Orleans," 
a  1 10  gun  ship  commenced  during  the  late  war.  The  steeple  on  the 
left  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  There  is  also  an  Episcopal  and 
a  Methodist  church  in  the  place,  and  about  1,800  inhabitants.  This  is 
an  important  military  station,  185  miles  from  Albany,  and  35  from 
Kingston,  U.  Canada.  The  United  States  have  erected  at  this  place  3 
extensive  stone  barracks,  an  hospital,  &c.  A  considerable  trade  is  car- 
ried on  here  by  the  lake  and  St.  Lawrence  river,  and  by  the  Oswego, 
Erie,  and  Welland  canals.  After  the  late  war,  business  very  much 
decreased,  but  it  has  since  grown  with  the  general  improvement  of  the 
country. 

The  troops  destined  for  the  attack  upon  York,  (U.  C.,)  embarked 
from  this  place.  The  following  account  of  the  expedition  is  from 
Thompson  s  History  of  the  late  war :  «r 

On  the  22d  and  23d  of  April,  1813,  agreeably  to  previous  arrangement  with  Commo- 
dore Chauncey,  who  had  the  command  of  the  fleet  on  Lake  Ontario,  General  Dearborn 
and  his  suite,  with  a  force  of  seventeen  hundred  men,  embarked  on  this  expedition,  but  the 
prevalence  of  a  violent  storm  prevented  the  sailing  of  the  squadron  until  the  25th.  On 
that  day  it  moved  into  Lake  Ontario,  and  having  a  favorable  wind,  arrived  safely  at  7 
o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  about  one  mile  to  the  westward  of  the  ruins  of  Fort 
Toronto,  and  two  and  a  half  from  the  town  of  York.  The  execution  of  that  part  of  the 
plan  which  applied  immediately  to  the  attack  upon  York,  was  confided  to  Col.  Pike,  of 
the  15th  regiment,  who  had  then  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  the 
MB'tion  which  had  been  fixed  upon  for  landing  the  troops,  was  the  site  of  the  old  fort. 
The  approach  of  the  fleet  being  discovered  from  the  enemy's  garrison,  General  Sheaffe, 
the  British  commandant,  hastily  collected  his  whole  force,  consisting  of  upwards  of  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  regulars  and  militia,  and  one  hundred  Indians,  and  disposed  them  in  the 
best  manner  to  resist  the  landing  of  the  American  force.  A  body  of  British  grenadiers 
were  paraded  on  the  shore,  and  the  Glengary  fencibles,  a  corps  which  had  been  disciplined 
with  uncommon  pains  smce  the  commencement  of  the  war,  were  stationed  at  another 
point.  Bodies  of  Indians  were  observed  in  groups  in  different  directions,  in  and  about  the 
voods  below  the  site  of  the  fort,  and  numbers  of  horsemen  were  stationed  in  the  clear 
eround  surrounding  it.  These  were  aeen  moving  into  the  town,  where  strong  field  worka 
had  been  thrown  up  to  oppose  the  assailants,  "rhe  Indians  were  taking  post  at  stations, 
which  were  pointed  out  to  them  by  the  British  officers  with  great  skill,  from  which  they 
could  annoy  the  Americans  at  the  point  where  the  water  and  the  weather  would  compel 
them  to  land.  Thus  posted,  they  were  to  act  as  tirailleurs.  The  regulars  were  discov- 
ered to  be  moving  out  of  their  works  in  open  columns  of  olatoons.  and  marchinir  nlonir  the 
bank  in  that  order  inio  the  woods.  *  "^        "^ 


JEFFEBSON   OOUNTT. 


119 


.„j  k-  •«  '''°*='' .*•'  «Jebarkation  commenced ;  at  ten  it  was  oompleted.  Major  Fonythe 
andhunflemeninseveranarge  batteaux,  were  in  the  advance/ They  pulKgSj 
for  the  deaignated  ground  at  the  site,  but  were  forced  by  a  atrong  easterlV  wind  a^S 
S  -f  k'T"  t-?"-  ^?^  ""•""y  •'«'"«  "'''"'»  »  f«^  fe«'  »f  «he  water,  and  compS; 
Slv-  ?''ii'"'  ?!.i^l"'""  u^  '.  ""P""'  """"n^""*"!  «  sailing  Are  of  muaketiV  and  rifle.  To 
i?w/f  f"  'H'^?  ^•'"  ^''^  •''^'"'  ^""^^  »*  *''•*'''  *>«  *"«  fi«'  ""Je'ed  to  J«nd,  would  have 
and  hv  I  '  T  ""  '^  •*"  T"  :??"»*•  *"",*"  ^**°'«  ''"•^y  °f  *«  ♦^"P".  to  «^««  disadvantaged 
^i^,  T^"^  "  V'^^'t'"  •''?'*"?*'  fr""  ^^^  '«*"'  ♦*'«  "bject  of  the  expedition  miS  be 
fruatrated.  Major  Forsythe  therefore  determined  upon  making  that  part  of  theThore  on 
which  Ae  enemy;a  princ^al  strength  was  stationed,  ind  desired  hie  mi^  to  rest  ,  mome^? 
on  their  oars,  unul  his  nflemen  aliould  return  the  shot.  General  Pike  was  at  this  mome" 
hastening  the  aebarkation  of  the  infantry,  when,  as  he  was  standing  on  the  ship's  deck  ho 

fo^h  mif  ' ^aT  1  ff "k""""?/". "^^T^' »"'' '"'"'^"«  ■"'*'  *« ^W«h  '"'d  been Sed 
mnlTL^it1,^^'  ^^  'f't  !J'>^'"  ^^{'""P  •""»  '•>«  '»<"''  ^**  h™.  ordered  Ma/or 
Spo8i°e  Black  Ri.llVrfT''"^**  distinguished  himself  in  carrying  the  enemy's  batteries 
nEf  ,  1  r  V  °  [""""^  'Ji'"r  """"»»'y  with  three  companies  of  that  regiment,  and 
pushed  for  the  Canadian  shore.    Before  he  reached  it,  Forsythe  had  landed  and  Ws  already 

S of  r«t™i  T7'^  T  °^  *'  ??^^^J'"1  ^"«*'''"  f""^*'  ""der  the  immedtSte  com! 
mand  of  General  Sheaffe.    He  contended  with  them  nearly  half  an  hour.     The  infantnr 

bv  ColS°M^n ^'  '^'  ^K^  "1!'^'^  ""'^^  ^"^"^  E""^'  »^«  volunteer  coVcSmmande^ 
by  Colonel  M'Clure,  and  about  thirty  men,  who  had  been  selected  from  the  15th  at  Plat^ 

tenfntSt  *S,ln'."^;*r'^  ^'^^'^  *°"*^*  "f  """'"  '=°n)s  of  observaL,  under  W 
coml?H  nf  '.K  fl  ^r^^  '°T"P"^  succession,  and  formed  in  platoons.  General  Pike  took 
command  of  the  first,  and  ordering  the  whole  body  to  prepare  for  a  charee,  led  them  oiTto 
the  summit  of  the  bank,  from  which  the  British  ^nadiera  were  pouriTdo^  a  vTlC  S 
n^sketry  and  nfle  shot  The  advance  of  the  American  infantry  was  not  to  be  w2t  Jod 
and  the  grenadiere  yielded  their  position  and  retired  in  disorder.    The  signal  of  victMv  v^as 

Si«  «««  Tr'rl*''"i^'°'"u  ^"""y'^'^'  ^"«^^«'  ""^  Ae  sound  had  no  soonerTeneS 
the  ears  of  the  Indians,  than  they  gave  a  customary  yeU  and  fled  in  every  direction.    The 

nirif^K*'*"Pt*^"u'''rr^^t'^'*  Forsythe's,  whilst  a  fresh  body  of  Grenadiere,  sup! 
posed  to  have  been  the  8th  or  King's  regiment,  made  a  formidable  charge  upon  the  W 
rnir  T"'  ?•*  ^T'^^^l  compelled  it  to  retire.  But  the  office™  instanlly  rallied  the 
troops,  who  returned  to  the, round,  and  impetuously  charged  upon,  and  routed  the  grena! 
d  ers.    A  reinforcement  of  the  remainder  of  the  15th  then  arrived,  with  Captain  Steel's 

fi™Tr  '^^  ^"1".^'  u^l^^  "^'""°*'  ""d  the  Americans  remained  undisputed  mas! 
ters  of  the  ground.  A  fresh  front,  however,  was  presented  by  the  British  at  a  distance. 
f^tTV^^  "^!^  reared  to  the  garrison,  as  soon  as  the  American  troops  were  again 
fomied  by  Major  King,  for  the  charge.    The  whole  body  of  the  troops  bein/now  landed 

ZZ,^''"  f^'V^^  ^'"'[?^  ^''^'  ^°  ^"^  '"  platoons,' and  to  marih  in  Sfat  orde   to  the 
enemy's  works.    The  firet  line  waa  composed  of  Forsythe's  riflemen,  with  front  and  flank 
Zl^i  *'*^'^^'"f J!  ^f  *«  fi"'  brigade,  with  their  pieces;  and  three  platoons  of  reserve, 
under  the  orders  of  Major  Swan;  Major  Eustis  and  his  train  of  artillery  were  formed  ki 
rL^^  A    fl  "■  of "'^'  *°  '"'^  '^.''®'"?  circumstances  might  reqiure.     The  second  Une  waa 
composed  of  the  Slst  regiment,  in  six  platoons,  flanked  by  Col.  M'Clure's  volunteers,  di. 
yided  equally  as  light  troops,  and  all  under  command  of  Colonel  Ripley.    Thus  formed  an 
injunction  waa  given  to  each  officer,  to  sufler  no  man  to  load ;  when  within  a  short  distance 
ot  the  enemy,  an  entu-e  rehance  would  be  placed  upon  the  bayonet ;  and  the  column  moved 
on,  with  as  much  velocity  as  the  streams  and  ravines  which  intersected  tiie  road  alone  the 
lake  would  permit.     One  field.piece.  and  a  howitzer,  were  with  difficulty  passed  over  one 
of  these,  the  bndges  of  which  had  been  destroyed,  and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  column 
in  charge  of  Lieutenjuit  Fanning,  of  the  3d  artiUery.     As  the  column  emeiged  from  the 
woods,  and  came  immediately  m  front  of  the  enemy's  first  battery,  two  or  three  24  pound 
ers  were  opened  upon  it,  but  without  any  kind  of  effect.     The  column  moved  on,  and  the' 
enemy  retreated  to  his  second  battery.    The  guns  of  the  first  were  immediately  taJien.  and 
liieutenant  Riddle,  having  at  this  moment  come  up  with  his  corps  to  deliver  the  prisonere 
Which  he  had  made  in  the  woods,  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  take  possession  of  the  second 
battery,  about  one  hundred  yards  ahead,  the  guns  of  which.  Lieutenant  Fraser,  aid-de-camo 
to  the  general,  reported  to  have  been  spiked  by  the  enemy,  whom  he  discovered  retreating 
to  the  garrison.    General  Pike  then  led  the  column  up  to  the  second  battery,  where  he 
halted  to  receive  the  captured  ammunition,  and  to  learn  the  strength  of  the  ganison     But 
as  every  appearance  indicated  the  evacuation  of  the  barrack-   he  suspected  the  enemy  of 
an  mtennon  to  draw  him  within  range  of  the  shot,  and  then  suddenly  to  show  himself  in 

. —     ^.jj,.  ivirrnia  rriisj  tu3  vutfja  VI  oDscrvation,  to  discover 

If  there  were  any,  and  what  number  of  troops,  within  the  garrison.    The  barracks  were 


lao 


JBPfBUON   OOUNTT. 


thne  hun^d  yarda  distant  from  the  second  battery,  and  whibt  this  corps  was  engaged  in 
reconnoiteriiig,  General  Pike,  after  removing  a  wounded  prisoner  from  a  dangerous  situs, 
ation,  liad  seated  himgelf  upon  a  stump,  and  commenced  an  examination  of  a  British  ser- 
geant, who  had  been  taken  in  the  woods.  Riddle  having  discovered  that  the  enemy  had 
abandoned  the  garrison,  was  about  to  return  with  this  information,  when  the  magazine, 
which  was  situated  outside  the  barrack  yard,  blew  up,  with  a  tremendous  and  awful  explo- 
sion, passed  over  Riddle  and  his  party,  without  injuring  one  of  his  men,  and  killed  and 
wounded  General  Pike,  and  two  hundred  and  sixty  of  the  column.  The  severity  of  Gen. 
eral  Pike's  wounds  disabled  him  from  further  service,  and  the  command  of  the  troops  de. 
volved  upon  Colonel  Pearce  of  the  16th  regiment,  who  sent  a  demand  to  the  town  of  York 
for  an  immediate  surrender.  The  plan  of  the  contemplated  operations  was  known  only  to 
General  Pike,  and,  as  General  Dearborn  had  not  yet  landed,  the  future  movements  of  the 
troops  would  depend  upon  the  will  of  their  new  commander.  He  ordered  them  immedi- 
ately  to  form  the  column,  and  to  march  forward  and  occupy  the  barracks,  which  Migor 
Forsythe,  who  had  been  scouring  the  adjoining  wood,  had  already  entered.  Meanwhile 
the  British  regulars  were  retreating  across  the  Don,  and  destroying  the  bridges  in  their  rear. 
After  the  explosion,  which  killed  about  fifty  of  the  enemy  who  had  not  retired  in  time  from 
the  garrison.  Lieutenant  Riddle  with  his  party,  then  reinforced  by  thirty  regulars  under 
Lieutenant  Horrel  of  the  16th,  pursued  the  enemy's  route,  and  annoyed  his  retreating  guard 
from  the  wood.  This  was  the  only  pursuit  which  was  made.  Had  a  more  vigorous  push 
followed  the  abandonment  of  the  enemy's  garrison,  his  whole  regular  force  must  huve  been 
capmred,  and  the  accession  of  military  stores  would  have  been  extensively  great.  The 
majority  of  the  officera  were  well  aware  of  this,  and  as  it  was  known  that  the  stores  were 
deposited  at  York,  they  urged  the  necessitj'  of  the  immediate  approach  of  the  whole  column, 
to  prevent  their  removal.  Colonel  Pearce  then  marched  towards  the  town,  which  was  dis. 
tant  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  About  half  way  between  York  and  the  garrison,  the  column 
was  intercepted  by  several  officers  of  the  Canadian  miUtia,  who  had  come  out  with  terms  of 
capitulation.  Whilst  these  were  discussing,  the  enemy  was  engaged  in  destroying  the  mil. 
itary  storehouse,  and  a  large  vessel  of  war  then  on  the  stocks,  which  in  three  days  might 
have  been  launched,  and  added  to  the  American  squadron  on  Ontario.  Forsythe,  who  waj 
on  the  left  in  advance,  being  aware  of  this,  despatched  Lieutenant  Riddle  to  inform  Col. 
onel  Pearce.  Colonel  Ripley  was  at  the  same  time  urging  a  rapid  march,  and  the  troops 
again  proceeded.  Colonel  Pearce  enjoined  the  observance  of  General  Pike's  ordera,  that 
the  property  of  the  inhabitants  of  York  should  be  held  sacred,  and  that  any  soldier  who 
should  so  far  neglect  the  honor  of  his  profession,  as  to  be  guilty  of  plundering,  should,  on 
conviction,  be  punished  with  death.  At  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Americans  were  in 
possession  of  the  town,  and  terms  of  capitulation  were  agreed  upon,  by  which,  notwith. 
standing  the  severe  loss  which  the  army  and  the  nation  had  sustained  by  the  death  of  the 
general ;  the  imwarrantable  manner  in  which  that  loss  was  occasioned ;  and  the  subtlety 
with  which  the  militia  colonels  offered  to  capitulate  at  a  distance  from  the  town,  so  that  the 
column  might  be  detained  until  General  Sheaffe  should  escape,  and  the  destruction  of  the 
public  property  be  completed,  although  one  of  its  articles  stipulated  for  its  deUvery  into  the 
hands  of  the  Americans ;  the  militia  and  inhabitants  were  freed  from  all  hardship,  and  not 
only  their  persons  and  property,  but  their  legislative  hall  and  other  pubUc  buildings  were 
protected.  The  terms  of  the  capitulation  were,  *  that  the  troops,  regular  and  militia,  and 
the  naval  officers  and  seamen,  should  be  surrendered  prisoners  of  war.  That  all  public 
atorea,  naval  and  military,  should  be  immediately  given  up  to  the  commanding  officers  of 
the  army  and  navy  of  the  United  States,  and  that  all  private  property  should  be  guaranteed 
to  the  citizens  of  the  town  of  York.  That  all  papers  belonging  to  the  civil  officers  should 
be  retained  by  them,  and  that  such  surgeons  as  might  be  procured  to  attend  the  wounded 
of  the  British  regulars  and  Canadian  militia,  should  not  be  considered  prisoners  of  war.' 
Under  this  capitulation,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  one  major,  thirteen  captains,  nine  lieuten- 
ants, eleven  ensigns,  one  deputy  adjutant-general,  and  four  naval  officers,  and  two  hundred 
end  fifty-one  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates,  were  surrendered.  The  American 
infantry  were  then  ordered  to  return  to,  and  quarter  in  the  banacks,  while  the  riflemen 
were  stationed  in  the  town. 

**  When  General  Pike's  wound  was  discovered  to  be  mortal,  he  was 
removed  from  the  field,  and  carried  to  the  shipping  with  his  wounded 
aids.  As  they  conveyed  him  to  the  water's  edge,  a  sudden  exclama- 
tion was  heard  from  the  troops,  which  informed  him  of  the  American 
having  supplanted  the  British  standard  in  the  garrison.    He  expressed 

his  gatiafao.tinn  Hv  a    fipoKlo  eirrh     anA   aftar-  Vtoinrr  f<<ar>t]fV>»pn^  f../%«.-.  *U~ 


la  engaged  in 
igerous  sitiuu 
a  British  ser. 
e  enemy  had 
lie  magazine, 
awful  explo. 
id  killed  and 
srity  of  Gen. 
he  troope  de. 
own  of  York 
lown  only  to 
ments  of  the 
bem  immedi. 
which  MaioT 

Meanwhile 
in  their  rear, 
in  time  from 
igulara  under 
reating  guard 
igorous  push 
ist  have  been 
great.  The 
i  stores  were 
hole  column, 
tiich  was  dia. 
,  the  column 
vith  terms  of 
ying  the  mil- 
i  days  might 
the,  who  waj 
)  inform  Col- 
id  the  troops 
i  orders,  that 
'  soldier  who 
?,  should,  on 
cans  were  in 
ich,  notwith. 
death  of  the 

the  subtlety 
n,  so  that  the 
iction  of  the 
rery  into  the 
ihip,  and  not 
ildings  were 
1  militia,  and 
tat  all  public 
ig  officers  of 
3  guaranteed 
iicers  should 
he  wounded 
lere  of  war.* 
nine  lieuten* 
two  hundred 
le  American 
the  riflemen 

il,  he  was 
wounded 
exclama- 
\merican 
jxpressed 

uuiit  uic 


RED  JACKET, 
The  Seneca  Chief,  from  an  original  drawing. 


DEATH  OF  GEN.  PIKE, 
At  York,  (U.  C.)  on  the  27th  of  April,  1818. 


c 

b 

a 

SI 
81 
hi 
St 


iMrnnaon  oouhtt.  .-. 

head,  and  expired  withoura  Zm  Th^'nl  •  t  f '  •  °^^  ""^^^  ^s 
victory,  by  the  ungenerous  stfata^em  of  „  J^™- .  J^^^  "™«  ^^ 
of  tried  valor  and  mmcible  cnuJ?l  *  vanquished  foe,  a  soldier 
and  distinguished  Xts       °°"'^««^  ««neral  of  illustrious  virtues 

fromTe'Vots^  h^L^^^^^^^^^^  '^1  ^"^^T«»  «°J"™«  advancing 

directed  them  to  be  de^dTa^oWrf  1'^  °J  capitulation.  Z 
colonel  was  instructed  to  n^!^*^  ?   T^  "^^  ^'^^  ^^^^^  m^'tia.    This 
should  have  re?Sd     wf ^811^  "f^^  ^^''  '^'  ''S^^ 
garrison  to  be  as  much  sSered  aftf  tj"^T{  T^^^''^  the 
ually  agreed  upon  and  si^ed      Vp/h!  t        u^  ^'■*'^^^'  ^^^  ^'een  act- 
to  be  laid,  whiS  was  so  Sulated   thaMhf  "'T'?^  ""'^^'^^  ^  ''^^ 
zme  should  be  caused  at  the  timp  th     Ik  V^'P'?''^"  «^  the  maga- 
at  the  barracks.    H^i  not  Gpn^LrS-u  *t«  Americans  would  arifve 
emy's  second  battery  the  fiSriSwo^^^^^^^       '^°^P«  '''     ^  ««" 
summation,  and  the  destruclfon  of  tCwS  ^'^  i^^'^®  ****'°^^  "    ^^n- 
the  natural  consequence     The  ?ra^  h^H  h  ^^^^T"  T^^d  have  been 
combustibles  arranged  in  a  m^npr  to  n  T  '^'^">^  ^^'*'  ^^  the 
effect.    Five  hundrfd  barrels  of^Lp?  ?r**"T  *^^"^«^  ^^'^^dfiJ 
and  an  immense  quantity  of  iron  ^hln!'     T'u^  ^^'*  ^^^'^^  ^^  »tone, 
the  magazine,     f  he  cSm  trwhith  fei"''*  j'^^u*'  ^^'^  contained  in 
no  discomfiture  among  tS  Loo       A      '''u  *H«F^o«ion,  caused 
high  rank,  and  of  eouS  wor^  ^      ^  ^"""^^^  «*^  their  officers  of 
thiy  became  acltTby  a  fe'sir^to  '''^''  ^"u"^-  ^'  ^ounded?aSd 
m/  brave  fellows,  and  ainJuZ  °  ^^""7,^^  ^^^  ^«"-    '  ^«»A  on^ 
their  expfring  comm^der%K^  ^f"'.';"^'  "^^'^  *^«  ^a«t  words  of 
the  colfn,  |»d  SS  ^nTS^^  ^'^  ^^T'J'  ^^^^^ 

York,  the  issue  of  the  exnpHJtJ?„  ^*    H  u  ^^^^^  *^«»  ^^d  directly  to 

vantages.  As  it  wis,  hoS^v^X^nf  v' "^^  ^''"  ^^"^*^  ^^^^^^ 
resources  cut  off,  and  the  mlllf;!,,  ?  ^  ^r™f  ^*  ^^re  crippled,  his 
multiplied.  Most  of  the  gSif  mLiS  '^'  ""P^^  ex^Llly' 
cessary  to  carry  on  the  cfmn«;^T  ?i?^  ""^  '^^'''  ^'^^^  provisions,  ne- 
at  York,  and  nTt^thstandZTe  tit'  o'^hT'  ^^^-^T  "^'^^^^ 
an  immense  quantity  fell  into  the  ffis  of  ?hH''P^  storehouse, 
haggage  and  private  oanpr^  nfr^^  iSl  L*"®  -Amencans.  The 
the  precipitation  of  hi?Et  ««?  ^'^^^®^^?^^  ^«^«  'eft  at  York,  iS 
to  the  American  SmSr.'"te:2d^^^^^^  ^^^^^ 

only  articles  of  capture.  The  conduo^of  ^K  ^f^'""  '*^'^»  "^^'^  the 
stramt.  Though  tteir  indignation^  lu/''®  *^P«  needed  no  re- 
stance  of  a  scalp  havinTC  ford'  s-Ifi^^/f  *"^'  ^^'^^  <^^^^' 
chair,  in  the  legislative  ciamber  nSL?  tlT  "^^^  °^"  *^«  ^P^^^^er's 
ber,  the  building  itself,  norTe  pubKcX^  ornaments  of  the  cham- 
quantity  of  flour.  deDo^i3  .*f  f.  P"o'[c  hbrary,  was  molested.  A  larM 
tiie  inhabitants  JncStith^tS^^  was  distributed1:;^f| 

sumption ;  and  those  whose  ci^cumln      ^^  "'^^  ^^"  ^^^^  ^^n  con? 
supplied  with  many  otC'''s^Tr:^^:'j:ZlT?2^^^^^^  were 

stTeduTon^r^C"^"^  ''^  ^'-^^^^^o^ 

16 


m 


jcrrsRaoN  cuunty. 


"  Immediately  after  the  fall  of  General  Pike,  the  commander-in-chief  landed  with  hk 
•taff,  but  he  did  not  reach  the  troops  until  they  had  entered  York.  He  there  made  arrange, 
ments  to  expedite  their  departure  for  the  other  objecta  of  the  expedition,  and  they  were 
soon  after  re.embarlied. 

"  The  co-operation  of  the  squadron  was  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the  attack  upon  the 
enemy's  garrison.  As  soon  as  the  debarkation  was  completed,  Commodore  Chauncey  di- 
rected the  schooners  to  take  a  position  near  the  forts,  in  order  that  the  attack  of  the  army 
and  navy  might,  if  possible,  be  simultaneous.  The  larger  vessels  could  not  be  brought  up, 
and  in  consequence  of  the  wind,  the  schooners  were  obliged  to  beat  up  to  their  intended 
position.  This  they  did,  under  a  very  heavy  dre  from  the  enemy's  batteries,  and  having 
taken  their  station  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  principal  fort,  opened  a  galling  fire,  and 
contributed  very  much  to  its  destruction.  The  loss  on  board  the  squadron,  was  three  killed 
and  eleven  wounded.  Among  the  killed  were  midshipmen  Thompson  and  Hatfield,  the 
latter  of  whom,  in  his  dying  moments,  had  no  other  care  than  to  know  if  he  had  performed 
his  duty  to  his  country. 

"  In  the  action  the  loss  of  the  American  army  was  trifling ;  but  in  consequence  of  the 
explosion,  it  was  much  great*  r  than  the  enemy's  loss  in  killed  and  wounded.  Fourteen 
were  killed  and  thirty-two  wounded  in  battle,  and  thirty-eight  were  killed  and  two  hundred 
and  twenty-two  wounded  by  the  explosion,  so  that  the  total  American  loss  amounted  to 
330  men.  Among  those  who  fell  by  the  explosion,  besides  General  Pike,  were  seven  cap- 
tains, seven  subalterns,  one  aid-de-camp,  one  acting  aid,  and  one  volunteer  aid.  The  en- 
emy's loss  in  killed  and  wounded  amounted  to  two  hundred,  and  in  prisoners  to  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  His  wounded  were  left  in  the  houses  on  the  road  leading  to  and  in  the 
neighborhood  of  York,  and  were  attended  to  by  the  American  army  and  navy  surgeons. 
The  prisoners  were  all  paroled,  and  the  troops  withdrawn  from  York  immediately  after  ita 
capture." 

The  followinff  is  an  account  of  the  attack  on  Sackett's  Harbor 
by  the  British,  May,  1813: 

"  Whilst  the  troops  were  preparing  to  embark  at  York,  for  the  expedition  against  Fort 
George,  the  British  at  Kingston,  having  gained  intelligence  of  their  absence  from  Sackett's 
Harbor,  of  the  batteries  at  that  place  having  been  principally  dismantled,  and  of  the  small, 
ness  of  the  force  which  had  been  left  for  ita  protection,  hastily  collected  all  their  disposables, 
and  embarked  on  board  their  fleet,  under  the  command  of  Sir  George  Prevost.  The  fleet 
was  commanded  by  Sir  James  Yeo.  On  the  night  of  the  27th  day  of  May,  five  hours  after 
the  capture  of  Fort  George,  the  British  appeared  off  the  entrance  to  the  harbor.  The 
American  force  consisted  of  two  hundred  invalids,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  dragoons, 
then  newly  arrived  from  a  long  and  fatiguing  march.  Two  small  vessels,  under  Lieutenant 
Chauncey,  were  stationed  at  its  mouth,  and  gave  instant  signals  of  alarm,  at  the  approach 
of  the  British  squadron.  Expresses  were  immediately  forwarded  to  General  Brown,  then 
at  his  seat,  eight  miles  fi-om  the  harbor,  and  he  immediately  repaired  thither,  to  take  the 
command. 

*'  The  tour  of  duty  of  the  militia  of  his  brigade  had  expired  many  weeks  before,  but  he 
had  been  requested  by  General  Dearborn  to  take  the  command  of  die  harbor,  at  any  time 
when  the  enemy  should  approach  it,  and  to  provide  for  its  defence.  Immediately  on  his 
arrival,  diapositioiis  were  made  to  that  effect.  The  movements  of  the  enemy  indicated  his 
intention  to  land  on  the  peninsida,  called  Horse  Island.  General  Brown,  therefore,  deter, 
mined  on  resisting  him  at  the  water's  edge,  with  the  Albany  volunteers,  under  Colonel 
Mills,  and  such  militia  as  could  be  instandy  collected.  Alarm  guns  were  therefore  fired, 
and  expresses  M|Dt  out  for  that  purpose.  Lieutenant-colonel  Backus,  of  the  first  regiment 
of  United  States  dragoons,  who  commanded  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in  the  absence  of  the 
officers  who  had  proceeded  to  Fort  George,  was  to  form  a  second  line  with  the  regidars. 
The  regular  artillerists  were  stationed  in  Fort  Tompkins,  and  the  defence  of  Navy  Point 
was  committed  to  Lieutenant  Chauncey. 

"  On  thb  28th,  the  Wolfe,  the  Royal  George,  the  Prince  Regent,  the  Earl  of  Moira,  and 
one  brig,  two  schooners,  and  two  gun-boats,  with  thirty-three  fiat-bottomed  boats  and 
barges,  containing  in  all  twelve  hundred  troops,  appeared  in  the  offing,  at  five  miles  dis. 
tance.  They  were  staiiding  their  course  for  the  harbor,  when,  having  discovered  a  fleet  of 
American  barges,  coming  round  Stony  Point  with  troops  from  Oswego,  the  whole  of  their 
boats  were  immediately  despatched  to  cut  them  off.  They  succeeded  in  taking  twelve  of 
them,  after  they  had  been  nm  on  shore  and  abandoned  by  their  crews,  who  arrived  at  the 
harbor  in  the  night.  The  remainder,  seven  in  number,  escaped  from  their  pursuers,  and 
got  safely  in.     The  British  commanders,  being  tlien  tinder  an  impreeeion  that  other  barges 


JEFFERSON   COUNTY. 


133 


I 


thus  onie  ed,  0^"eral  fiVown  direSd'h^  H^r„°"'''  '"""""■«  '"""'■  u^'^'^  **"«  »«'i"<r 
continued  per-onalirto  «conno^^?the  ,Lt  o7  '"  '^  upon  their  arm.,  whilst  hf 

aSth.    At  the  only  favorable  poS!  of  land?n AJh.H       ''  ^""!!«  "'*'  '"'*?'•'  "'«»"  °^  *« 
up,  and  a  battery  en  barbette  to  b^  erect«rf  ^U  %  fi,-  ""'*''  ?  breast-work  to  be  thrown 
"  At  the  dawn  of  the  Mth  ,h«  .  j* '""'*  '^"' '"""'  "'^  *"  "•""•"  ^'O™  stationed. 

between  CrWanfaSst^nyTolS^'T/rT'*  ''"'^  '-"  "Tu''  ''"'^"  "P  '"  «"» 

approached  the  shore,  under  cJver  of  hi^'Z  boat.  ,?!  k '""'"l*  "L'  ^.  ^""r  ""'»  »'"««'' 

which,  in  consequence  of  the  iLhtoes^  ff  the  ^nf.        Vfi  ***u  ^^"r"'  °^  ''^  ^«"«I» 

with  which  the  boats  were  filled    we»  onl?*  „T^"V''°"i^  ^^  '"°"«*"  "P-     The  troops 

Commodore  YeodirectrdThelveZntsTtZbti«^  r"  ^'f'g"  P^yost,  in  persoS!: 

his  ordere,  that  the  troops  should  lav  Xlo!^       ^    '  ^ft""^  ^rown  instantly  issued 

have  approached  bo  n^r  thatte^'shot M  '^^  cnem/should 

the  fire  was  so  destrucUve  that  th«V„«.i..?    j  l    *^^"    "his  order  was  executed,  and 

rary  pause,  «nd  nuTberof  tiieir  office^'^^nH  ™"''  •""'''  ^''•'  f  "««'* '»  ">«''«  "  »«™P0- 

desired  effbct  of  thTfir^  fie  the  mSa  IoShTk  "  "^  •"  '""^  1"  ['^'-    Encouraged  by  {he 

the  artillery  was  ordered  to  'be  opened  at^f  t"  P'".*'*^  ^*  «»»«  »f«'08'  quickness,  and 

second  roiirid  had  been  completely  dS,arLH,),T'l*  k^*"';  l^"°"'*-    ^"'' ''«'"»«  t^* 

had  ever  seen  an  enemv  Zu  now  «?h     P  '  *^  "^^P'^.  *>°«Jy  of  ^e  militia,  none  of  whom 

though  they  weTe  SrScted  bv  ^!«  ^  "^T  T'^^^  unaccustomed  to  subordination^ 

those  honorable  Jr^mLTof  noWe  dariL  X^T^  'TI'°'^}'^^'^  ''•  ""''  "^andomng 

they  fled  with  equal  precipitation  and  Hrd^J^    A    7  ^"^  "If**^  *'"'  *  '*"'«  ^''''«  before, 

the  whole  line  ;\nd'wi,lTet"eplfo'a';eA^^^ 

officer  servedUer  to  ira^^TeiJt^^^^^^^ 

r     y^^?^^\  fij;own  seeing  that  his  plan  was  alreadv  frustrated  «n,l 

SS  on'etSL*  h  T^"?r-^  ^''^^^  withoutTh;^"io^ 
erauon  oi  the  mihtia,  hastened  to  intercept  their  retrpat  •  nn^  fi«j- *^ 

th^LJi  f  °"^.IsJa?d,  he  commenced  his  march  for  the  vil  ^7.  on 
peHuru  V  OI  numbers,  and  occupied  the  intervals' between  the  baSck^: 


134 


JErrCMON    COUNTY. 


"  Lieutenant-colonel  Backus,  with  hii  reserve  of  regulars,  first  en 
ffaged  the  enemy,  when  the  militia  company  of  Captain  M'Nitt  was 
lormed  on  his  flank  ;  and  in  the  vifforous  fight  which  then  followed, 
this  company  behaved  with  as  much  gallantry  as  the  bravest  of  the 
regulars.  The  whole  force  was  compelled  to  fall  back,  however,  by 
the  superior  strength  of  the  enemy's  column,  and  resorting  to  the 
barracks  for  what  shelter  they  could  afford,  they  posted  themselves 
in  the  unprotected  log  houses,  and  kept  up  an  incessant  and  effective 
fire.  From  these,  the  most  violent  assaults,  and  the  repeated  and 
varying  efforts  of  the  British,  were  incompetent  to  dislodge  them. 
Colonel  Gray,  the  quartermaster-general  of  the  enemy's  forces,  ad- 
vanced to  the  weakest  part  of  the  barracks,  at  the  head  of  a  column 
of  regulars,  and  after  exchanging  shots  with  an  inferior  party  of  mili- 
tia and  regulars,  led  his  men  on  to  the  assault.  A  small  boy,  who 
was  a  drummer  in  Major  Aspinwall's  corps,  seized  a  musket,  and  lev- 
elling it  at  the  colonel,  immediately  brought  him  to  the  ground.  At 
that  moment  Lieutenant  Fanning,  of  the  artillery,  who  nad  been  so 
severely  wounded  by  the  explosion  at  Little  York,  and  was  yet  con- 
sidered to  be  unable  to  do  any  kind  of  duty,  leaned  upon  his  piece 
whilst  it  was  drawn  up,  and  having  given  it  the  proper  elevation,  dis- 
charged three  rounds  of  grape  into  tne  faces  of  the  enemy,  who  im- 
mediately fell  back  in  disorder.  At  this  instant,  Lieutenant-colonel 
Backus  tell,  severely  wounded. 

*•  Whilst  the  battle  was  raging  with  its  greatest  violence,  informa- 
tion was  brought  to  Lieutenant  Chauncey,  of  the  intentfbn  of  the 
American  forces  to  surrender.  He  therefore,  in  conformity  to  his 
previous  orders,  relating  to  such  an  event,  fired  the  navy  barracks, 
and  destroyed  all  the  property  and  public  stores,  which  had  pre- 
vibusly  belonged  to  the  harbor,  as  well  as  the  provisions  and  equip- 
ments which  had  been  brought  from  York.  The  destruction  of  these 
buildings,  and  the  conflagration  which  was  thence  produced,  was 
thought  to  have  been  caused  by  the  troops  of  the  enemy,  and  although 
the  undisciplined  militia  and  volunteers,  and  the  invalid  regulars,  were 
suspicious  of  being  placed  between  the  fire  of  two  divisions  of  the 
enemy,  they  continued  to  fight  on,  regardless  of  their  inferiority,  or 
the  consequences  of  their  capture. 

"  General  Brown  wu  all  this  time  actively  superintending  the  operations  of  his  littlo 
army.  He  now  determined  on  mailing  a  diversion  in  it)  favor,  which,  iif  it  should  be  sue. 
cessful,  would  be  the  only  means  of  saving  the  place,  or  of  relieving  his  exhausted  troops. 
Having  learned  that  the  militia,  who  had  fled  from  their  stations  in  the  early  part  of  the  en- 
gagement, had  not  yet  entirely  dispersed,  and  that  they  were  still  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  scene  of  action,  he  hastened  to  exhort  them  to  imitate  the  conduct  of  their  brave 
brethren  in  arms.  He  reproached  them  with  shameful  timidity,  and  ordered  them  instantly 
to  form  and  follow  him,  and  threatened  with  instant  death  the  first  man  who  should  reiiise. 
His  order  was  obeyed  with  alacrity.  He  then  attempted  a  stratagem,  by  which  to  deceive 
the  enemy,  with  regard  to  the  forces  against  which  he  was  contending.  Silently  passing 
through  a  distant  wood,  which  led  towards  the  place  at  which  the  enemy  had  landed.  Gen. 
eral  Brown  persuaded  the  British  general  of  his  intention  to  gain  the  rear  of  his  forces,  to 
take  possession  of  the  boats,  and  eftectually  to  cut  olT  their  retreat. 

"  This  was  done  with  such  effect,  at  the  moment  when  the  fire  of  Lieutenant  Fanning's 
piece  had  caused  the  destruction  in  the  British  line,  that  General  Sir  George  Prevoet  was 
well  convinced  of  the  vast  superiority  of  the  American  force  to  his  own.  He  gave  up  all 
tlwugbti  oi  tha  capture  qf  the  place,  and  hurrying  to  yg  hoMg,  put  oS  immediately  to  the 


JErrBlfON   OOfJWTY. 


13ff 


The  loM  of  Thl  li^?*  •"**  ""'"*'"''  •'"'  •"""  •"^••^  '^'y  previously  to  the  ^tre.t^ 
were  I^     On„^2"  l  "?  *V   ^""  '"  P'°P°''i»''.  "  '»'e  number  of  their  men  engaged 

were  kiUed  •  on-^Sl  °\  ""l"  "I"'".'  '^T^  "«"'""'  P"^"'"*'  '">«'  ^ne  volunteer  private, 
««„,„•'  «"" ''•""•"•"•-colonel,  three  lieuionants,  »nd  one  ensign  of  the  regulars  and 
roZt'""  """-"""""'-ioned  office™  and  privates,  w.re  woundej"  and  ttZS  no„ 
commissioned  officers  and  private,  were  missing.  Their  aggregate  loss  wMonetunZd 
hSnd^eVf.?l'?^'  '^"'"•r-°"-  ^"'"""'«"'  '"«*  twenty.five  mUiS?^  maTng  -  tou.1  o?  o^e 
Uicie  who  filf  "'tL';  i  • ' """  "^'r*  •^'""^  °^  '^^  *'>«^'  ""»'«  'han  o*f  the  ntinberof 
TnTJfnf  .k  •  !■  "^"^  '"  P"**''"  •'•"•'••  •"•fined  at  Sacketfs  Harbor,  though  not  bv 
^^'L!^^!''t '""'"''"«  """""y'  *"  extensive;  but  the  gallantry  of  eeveiBMndivyu^ 

pe^itlTptoJSfriVdr"'"'''"^  ''""'"•*  '"  "^  ^"""-^  — ''-  of  I  pi:^%tch  w22 

head  iliilt^h  ■'""*'  S"^?'  '•'."'"P  .?«"'°^^  ^^i^^  ^«  r«P««ed  his 
head,  IS  still  to  be  seen  by  the  sidewalk.    He  was  a  nobiriookini? 

man.  about  six  feet  in  height,  and  aboiu  forty  years  of  age     BeSd! 

oTvir/nh  ^'«T""VTt^'  "^"^*^"y  ^°""<^«^-  A  private  name! 
David  Johnson,  from  Berkshire  county,  Mass.,  lay  near,  wounded  in 
a  most  horrible  manner.    This  young  man  wis  a  wido^Wnly  son 

serieLtTo%lp  l!fJ''*'"'°Vl*-^'"^^^^^  ^«  "^^^^^^  '^q^^'^d  the 
sTdfTnt  ?ri^  £?  "^  care  of  him.  His  face  was  carried  away  by  a 
side  shot  from  below  his  forehead,  downward,  including  his  eves 

nn?!;!if?^'?'^'I^°A"^'  "^^  «°'"«  °f  t^«  teeth  of  the  lowefjaw.  He 
notwithstanding  had  his  reason.    Being  requested  by  the  bySders 

f  he  wanted  water  to  lift  up  his  rig&  hind,  he  did  so.  ISer 
vrho  was  shot  by  a  musket  ball  through  the  abdomen,  iiformed  his 
captajn,  who  ^ave  him  permission  to  feave  the  ground,  Zuhtt  ex! 
pectation  thatlie  would  fSll  before  he  had  got  maSy  rods  Ztant  An 
Urortwo  after  the  battle,  the  offieer  ^as  aS Lhedt  me't  the 
man  quietly  walking  in  the  streets  of  the  village.  He  asked  him 
where  he  had  been  ?    «  To  get  some  milkr  was  the  reply     It  appet^ 

hat  he  had  not  eaten  any  thing  for  thirty  hours  previous  to  tK! 

Sourmtt^iijuT;:  ^^"^  ^^^^^^^  ^^  ^-^  ^-'«»^  ^^^  ^^^ 


"^S^r^'SlT-jPIR^" 


186 


KINGS  COtMTY. 


KINGS  COUNTY. 

KkNos  COUNTY  was  organized  in  1683,  by  an  act  of  the  colonial  as- 
Bembly  dividing  the  povince,  and  abolishing  the  ridings  which  previ- 
ously existed.  Its  greatest  length  is  12,  and  greatest  breadth  7  miles. 
The  county  includes  Coney  and  Barren  islands,  and  all  other  islands 
south  of  the  town  of  Gravesend.  The  surface  on  the  NE.  for  three 
or  four  miles  back  from  the  river  is  hilly  and  ridgy.  Upon  the  SE.  a 
plain  of  sandy  loam  and  sand  extends  to  the  ocean.  The  soil  for  the 
most  part  is  light,  warm,  and  when  properly  manured,  fertile.  It  is 
generally  well  improved,  and  supplies  a  large  portion  of  the  vegetables 
sold  in  New  York.  The  first  settlement  m  the  county  was  made  at 
Brooklyn  in  1625.  In  1641,  the  Dutch  government  permitted  some 
English  settlers  to  locate  themselves  at  Gravesend.  All  the  other  towns 
of  the  county  appear  to  have  been  settled  by  the  Dutch.  The  county 
courts  were  originally  held  at  the  village  of  Gravesend  ;  they  were  re- 
moved in  1686  to  Flatbush,  where  they  were  held  till  1832,  when  they 
were  removed  to  Brooklyn.    The  county  contains  seven  towns : 


Brooklyn  city, 
Bush  wick, 


Flatbush,        Gravesend,       Williamsburg. 
Flatlands,        New-Utrecht, 


Northern  view  of  the  Navy-yard  at  Brooklyn. 

The  most  compact  part  of  Brooklyn  was  incorporated  into  a  village 
in  1816,  which,  although  much  opposed  by  a  portion  of  the  population, 
gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  spirit  of  improvement,  which  has  resulted  in 
raising  it  to  be  the  second  city  in  point  of  population  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  In  April,  1834,  the  whole  territory  of  the  town  was  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  the  "City  of  Brooklyn."  It  is  divided  into 
9  wards  ;  the  powers  of  the  corporation  are  vested  in  a  mayor,  and  a 
board  of  aldermen,  composed  of  two  elected  from  each  ward.  Brook- 
lyn contains  28  churches,  viz  :  6  Episcopahans,  2  Dutch  Reformed,  7 
Presbyterian,  2  Baptist,  4  Episcopal  Methodist,  1  Centenary  Episco- 
pal Methodist,  1  Primitive  Methodist,  1  Wesleyan  Methodist,  2  Ro- 
man Catholic,  1   Unitarian  Congregational  Church,  and   1  Friends 


'^ 


KINe9  eoVNTf. 


I«7 


mceting-house.     Population  in  1820,  7,176;  in  1826,    10,790;  in 
1830,  15,394;  in  1836,  25,312;  in  1840,  36,233;  in  1860,  96,860. 
1  he  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  the  buildings,  shipping,  &c 
at  the  navy.yard,  Brooklyn,  as  seen  from   Corlaer's  Book.    The 
United  States  possess  about  forty  acres  at  this  spot, including  the  old 
mill-pond.    Here  have  been  erected  a  spacious  navy-yaixi,  public 
stores,  machine  shops,  and  two  immense  edifices,  in  which  the  largest 
ships  are  protected  from  the  weather,  while  building.     On  the  east 
side  of  the  Wallabout  bay,  opposite  the  navy-yard,  stands  the  U.  S. 
JNaval  Hospital,  a  magnificent  structure.    The  Wallabout  was  the 
scene  of  the  heart-rending  sufferings  of  many  thousand  American  pris- 
oners confined  in  the  prison  ships  stationed  in  the  bay.    The  followinir 
relating  to  these  vessels,  was  written  by  Jeremiah  Johnson,  Esq.,  of 
Brooklyn,  a  gentleman  who  has  filled  many  pubUc  offices  in  this  place. 

lBkl.^'!f  ""''•'M'  °'  *'"!  "?"''  prwoneni,  and  of  the  British  prison  ohipe  .tatioued  at  the  Wal- 
about  during  the  revolution,  is  one  which  cannot  be  pas^  by  iu  rileiice.  FromDrinted 
CT'^i'"^''!''"'^  '•"  New  York  at  the  close  of  the  w^,  it  ap^an.  that  eleven^S^nd 
five  hundred  American  prisone.-s  had  died  on  board  the  prison  ^pe.  AlthouT  ^eZm- 
ber  IS  very  great,  still,  if  the  number  who  perished  had  Ln  1«S  the  commZyVf  S 

n  SruSLTst.l'i!?  Tr'''"**'''/"''^?^'  "I"^  ^"^-  S"oh  a  return  has  never  apS 
aJ^w  u  u  '^•-  7''«  "nw  wturned  to  America  after  the  war,  and  resided  in  Phila- 
delphm,  whew  he  died.  He  could  not  have  been  ignorant  of  the  statementpublished  here 
on  this  mterestag  subject.    We  may  therefore  mfer,  that  about  that  number  pSiedta 

n  tSr'S^atLt.'^ir'  transport,  named  the  WMtbv.  was  the  first  prison  shi?^^cho,^3 
177fi  «r!l  w„^^  !  !  "^^u  ""^'"^  '"'",;  ««"«»»'''  Mill,'  about  the  20th  of  October. 
1776,  and  was  crowded  with  prisoners.  Many  landsmen  were  prisoneis  on  board  thS 
vessel ;  she  was  said  to  be  the  most  sickly  of  all  the  prison  shi^  Bad  ZvS  bad 
water,  and  scanted  rations  were  dealt  to  the  prisonen.  No  medicrmen  attiLdldthe  sick 
S rr-iT*^  unrelmved,  and  hundreds  died  frt,m  pestilence,  or  were  starved,  on  b^aS 
thw  floatmg  pn«>n.  I  saw  the  sand-beach  between  ravine  ik  the  hiU  andMr  RemS 
dock  become  filled  with  graves  in  the  cou«e  of  two  months  ;  and  before  the  Ist  of  May 

}hlh  »"'"?^  *""u?*^ '"  **"  •'«'^  •«•'"?••">  ™  »»>e  same  way.  In  the  month  of  May  of 
that  year  two  large  ship,  were  anchored  in  the  Wallabout,  when  the  pri«,r«  wereS- 
ferred  from  the  jR^hitby  to  them.  These  vessels  were  also  very  sickly,  from  ThrcZ^ 
before  stated.  Although  many  prisoners  were  sent  on  board  of  ^em  a^d  were  eJchaZ? 
death  made  room  for  all.  On  a  Sunday  afternoon,  about  the  middle  of  October!  mK 
of  the  prison  ships  was  burnt;  the  prisoners,  except  a  few.  who.  it  is  said,  were  buriun 
^.^^iTS/u'^"'"'^  ^  the  remainmg  ship.  It  was  reported  at  the  ti^  UiaTKi^ 
oners  had  fired  thejr  prison ;  which,  if  true,  proves  that  the^  preferred  death,  even  W^ 
to  the  linp^ring  sufferings  of  pestilence  and  starvation.  -  In  the  month  of  Febraa^  ItS' 
the  remaining  prison  shp  was  burnt  at  night;  when  the  prisonei.  were  remo^^m  S 
to  the  ship,  then  wintering  in  the  WallabSut  In  the  month  of  April,  1778.X  Old^^J 
was  moored  m  the  Wallabout,  and  all  the  prisoners  (except  the  SS)  were  WsforreTto 
ed'„«  ?'  T^r'"'^"^^  "^  '*"  boBpital  ships,  naJned  the  Hopeld^dm^So^ 
fn  .K  w 'm''k!''J"  *^!Ii  ^"^  ^"""^"^  y^  «««t  f™n»  the  Jersey  TheseE  remSiJd 
m  the  Wallabout  until  New  York  was  evacuated  by  the  British.^  The  KSJS  wm  UiTre 
ceiving-ship-  he  others,  truly,  the  ship,  of  Death !  It  has  been  genereMS  Aat^ll 
the  pnsoners  died  on  board  of  the  JereeV-  This  is  not  true  ;  manfrnarCKn  iSsS 
of  her  who  were  not  reported  as  sick :  but  all  the  men  who  were^  Ed  on    he  lltJ 

iz:z^^:r^:,'s:} "''-  ^^  ^^^^^  ^^  --  -.au/takl^^wtd  ufiii 


jS«tn3SB'B  doek-yard 


yard  was  a  piaoe  ui  gr»  /es  j  us  were  also  tha  slope  of  the  hill 


M?. 

near  tha 


k 


i2d 


KINQS   COUNTY. 


houM,  the  thore  from  Mr.  Remflen's  bam  along  the  mill-pond  to  Rapelje's  fonn  and  the 
■andy  island,  between  the  flood-gates  and  the  mill-dam  ;  while  a  few  were  buried  on  the 
shore,  the  east  side  of  the  Wallabout  Thus  did  Death  reign  here,  from  1776  until  the 
peace.  The  whole  Wallabout  was  a  sickly  place  during  the  war.  The  atmosphere  seemed 
to  be  charged  with  foul  air  from  the  prison  ships,  and  with  the  effluvia  of  the  dead  bodies 
washed  out  of  their  graves  by  the  tides.  We  have  ourselves  examined  many  of  the  ikuUt 
lying  on  the  shore ;  from  the  teeth,  they  appear  to  be  the  remains  of  men  in  the  prime  of 
life.  A  singularly  daring  and  successful  escape  was  effected  from  the  Jersey  about  4  o'clock 
one  afternoon,  in  December,  1780.  The  best  boat  of  the  ship  had  returned  from  New 
York,  was  left  fastened  at  the  gangway,  with  the  oars  on  board.  It  was  stormy  ;  the  wind 
blew  from  the  northeast,  and  the  tide  ran  flood.  A  watchword  was  given,  and  a  num- 
ber of  prisoners  placed  themselves  between  the  ship's  waist  aud  the  sentinel ;  at  this  junc- 
ture four  eastern  captains  got  on  board  the  boat,  which  was  cast  off  by  their  friends.  The 
boat  passed  close  under  the  bows  of  the  ship,  aud  was  a  considerable  distance  from  her 
before  the  sentinel  on  the  forecastle  gave  the  alarm,  and  fired  at  her.  The  boat  passed 
Hell-gate,  and  arrived  safe  in  Connecticut  next  morning." 

In  1808,  a  tomb  was  erected  to  the  memory  of  these  martyrs  to 
liberty,  on  the  corner  of  Jackson-street,  nearly  opposite  the  end  of 
Front-street,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  navy-yard.  Thirteen  coffins  were 
filled  with  their  bleached  bones,  and  interred  in  it  with  great  venera- 
tion and  respect.  "  The  tomb  is  a  small  square  frame  building,  sur- 
mounted by  an  eagle  on  the  point  of  the  roof ;  the  interior  is  an  ante- 
chamber to  the  vault  beneath,  in  which  the  coffins  are  deposited ; 
there  is  a  row  of  posts  and  rails  in  front  of  the  tomb,  on  which  the 
names  of  the  13  original  states  of  the  Union  are  inscribed  ;  the  area 
around  the  tomb  is  enclosed  by  a  rail  fence,  over  the  entrance  of 
which  is  the  following  inscription  :  ' Portal  to  the  Tomb  ofll ,600 
Patriot  Prisoners,  who  died  in  dungeons  and  prison  ships,  in  and 
about  the  city  of  New  York  during  the  revolution.' " 

The  most  sanguinary  part  of  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  August 
27th,  1776,  took  place  in  this  town.  The  following  account  is  from 
Thompson's  History  of  Long  Island. 

"  After  the  commencement  of  hostilities  in  1776,  New  York  being 
situated  near  the  centre  of  the  colonial  sea-board,  and  readily  acces- 
sible from  the  sea,  was  selected  by  the  enemy  as  a  principal  point  for 
their  future  operations.  With  this  view,  a  first  division  of  their  army 
arrived  at  Staten  Island  in  the  latter  part  of  June  of  that  year,  fol- 
lowed, about  the  middle  of  July,  by  the  grand  armament  under  Lord 
Howe,  consisting  of  six  ships  of  the  hne,  thirty  frigates,  with  smaller 
armed  vessels,  and  a  great  number  of  transports,  victuallers,  and 
ships  with  ordnance. 

"The  Americans,  anticipating  the  invasion  of  Long  Island,  had 
fortified  Brooklyn  before  tne  arrival  of  the  British  at  Staten  Island. 
A  line  of  intrenchment  was  formed  from  a  ditch  near  the  late  Toll- 
House  of  the  Bridge  Company  at  the  navy-yard  to  Fort  Green,  then 
called  Fort  Putnam,  and  from  thence  to  Freek's  mill-pond.  A  strong 
work  was  erected  on  the  lands  of  Johannis  Debevoice  and  of  Van 
Brunt ;  a  redoubt  was  thrown  up  on  Baemus'  Hill  opposite  Brown's 
mill,  and  another  on  the  land  of  John  Johnson,  west  of  Fort  Green. 
PoiJciesburg,  now  Fort  Swift,  was  fortified,  and  a  fort  built  on  the 
land  of  Mr.  HicV  s,  on  Brooklyn  heights.  Such  were  the  defences  of 
Brooklyn  in  1 773,  while  a  chevaux  de  frise  was  sunk  in  the  main 


nn  and  tha 
turied  on  the 
76  until  the 
there  aeemed 
I  dead  bodies 
of  the  tkulU 
the  prime  of 
out  4  o'clock 
id  from  New 
ly ;  the  wind 
md  a  num- 
at  this  June- 
riends.  The 
lice  from  her 
boat  paaaed 


nartyrs  lo 
le  end  of 
ffins  were 
at  venera- 
[ding,  sur- 
is  an  ante- 
leposited  ; 
which  the 
;  the  area 
itrance  of 
0/11,500 
7s,  in  and 

d,  August 
nt  is  irom 

brk  being 
lily  acces- 
.1  point  for 
their  army 
;  year,  fol- 
ider  Lord 
ih  smaller 
illers,  and 

sland,  had 

:en  Island. 

late  ToU- 

reen,  then 

A  strong 
nd  of  Van 
e  Brown's 
ort  Green. 
ilt  on  the 
(fences  of 

the  main 


•<»IMiWtMtMH.«IM, .. 


KtNOfl   COWWTT. 


130 


chMnel  of  the  nver  below  New  York.  The  troops  of  both  divisions 
of  the  British  army  were  landed  on  Staten  Island  after  their  arrival 
m  the  bay,  to  recruit  their  strength  and  prepare  for  the  comine  con- 
flict  It  was  not  till  the  middle  of  August,  that  a  first  landing  on 
fong  Island  was  made  by  them  at  New  Utrecht  Here  they  were 
joined  by  many  royalists  from  the  neighborhood,  who  probably  acted 
toe  infamous  part  of  informers  and  guides  to  the  enemy.  General 
&ir  Henry  Clmton  arrived  about  the  same  time,  with  the  troops  re- 
conducted from  the  expedition  to  Charleston. 

'•Commodore  Hotham  already  appeared  there  with  the  reinforce- 
ments under  his  escort;  so  that  in  a  short  time  the  hostile  army 
*T w®,*l  ^*^  about  twentv-four  thousand  men,— English,  Hessians, 
and  Waldeckers.  Several  regiments  of  Hessian  inllntry  were  ex- 
pected to  arrive  shortly,  when  the  army  would  be  swelled  to  the 
number  of  thirty-five  thousand  combatants,  of  the  best  troops  of  Eu- 
rope, all  abundantly  supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition,  and  mani- 
testmg  an  extreme  ardor  for  the  service  of  their  king.  The  plan 
was,  first  to  get  possession  of  New  York,  which  was  deemed  of  most 
essential  importance. 

"To  resist  this  impending  storm,  Congress  had  ordained  the  construction  of  rafts  sun 
boats,  gaUeys.  and  floating  batteries,  for  the  defence  of  the  port  of  New  Yorkimd^a 
mouth  of  the  Hudson.  They  had  also  decreed  that  thirteen  AousandTf  Uie  p roWnci J 
"f  NLwYoS^Cd^ir^  "^  Washington,  who,  being  seasonably  apprized  of  thTd^el 
^i^n^- .ni  ?  .  .1  movement  mto  that  quarter;  they  also  directed  the  onraSS. 
uon  of  a  corps  of  ten  thousand  men,  destined  to  serve  as  a  reserve  in  the  province^  Ae 

aT-  ^\  *u  '^^"**""  ^f  t»**  •'««"  '""^^y  intrenched,  and  furnished 3 ^eS 
A  strong  detachment  occupied  Long  Island,  to  prevent  the  English  from  lanS  ^  or 
to  repulse  them  if  they  should  effect  a  debarkation.  But  the^y  Sf  ConJreSfww^;^ 
far  from  havmg  aU  the  necessary  means  to  support  the  bnrdeZf  so  teSe  a  w"  Z 
w-nted  arms  and  it  was  wasted  by  diseases.  The  reiterated  instenc^of  Ao  commwder 
in-chief  had  drawn  into  his  camp  the  militia  of  the  neighboring  provtofes/and  wTe  ,^^^ 
regiments  from  Maryland  from  Pennsylvania,  and  from  New  Englandt^^SJh^S  »3ed 
ha  army  to  the  number  of  twenty^ven  thousand  men ;  but  a  foSrth  Jf  thew  !?oiwe« 
composed  of  mvahds,  and  scarcely  was  another  fourth  fJmished  wUh  amw?  ^ 

rn„„.n.^      •^"*""V^"'''  ""•=•>"['  7"^'  occupied  the  positions  most  suitable  to  cover  the 
menaced  points.    The  coips  which  had  been  stationed  on  Long  Island,  was  commmd^ 

ral  Sulhvan.    The  mam  body  of  the  army  encamped  on  the  island  of  New  York,  whick  it 
appeared,  was  desUned  to  receive  the  fim  blows  of  the  English.  ^       ^ 

,j,.Jj,?J^^^}^J^^''^^^^  ga^rded  Governor's  Island  and  the  point  of  Paulus'  Hook. 

Ion^b.^L„?rT'''/"T'^i"'*  ''y*^  ^«"«'"'>  G«»«"J  CUnton,we7opi2d 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Sound,  where  they  occupied  the  two  Chesters.  East  aAd  Wert^ 
New  Rochelle.  For  it  was  to  be  feared  that  the  enemy,  landiij  i"  forw  uTonTh^o^ 
shore  of  the  Sound,  might  penetrate  to  Kingsbridge,  and  thre^^re  y  S  uS  the  W 
,can  troops  on  the  «lai,d  of  New  York.  £,rd  Howe  made  somrivSJi  rf  pwce^on 
terms  of  submission  to  the  royal  clemency,  which,  resulting  in  notSSdedT^BS 
general  to  attack  Long  Island.    •  Accordingly,'  says  Botti,  •  on  A^wen?i^cond  nPT« 

17 


r 


^IKWfW^P\J^'  ■ 


180 


RINOS  COUNTY. 


I: 


minded  them  that  in  their  valor  reeted  the  only  hope  thtt  remained  to  American  liberty  {  that 
upon  their  resistance  depended  the  preservation  or  the  pillage  of  their  property  by  barbarions ; 
that  they  were  about  to  combat  in  defence  of  their  parents,  their  wives,  and  their  children, 
from  the  outrages  of  a  Ucentious  soldiery ;  that  the  eyes  of  America  were  fixed  upon  her 
champions,  and  expected  from  their  success  on  this  day  either  safety  or  total  destruction'' 

•*  The  English  having  effected  their  landing,  marched  rapidly  for- 
ward. The  two  armies  were  separated  by  a  chain  of  hills,  covered 
with  woods,  called  the  heights,  and  which,  running  from  west  to  east, 
divide  the  island  into  two  parts.  They  are  only  practicable  upon 
three  points  ;  one  of  which  is  near  the  Narrows ;  the  road  leading  to 
that  of  the  centre  passes  the  village  of  Flatbush ;  and  the  third  is  ap- 
proached, far  to  the  right,  by  the  route  of  another  village  called  Flat- 
lands.  Upon  the  summit  of  the  hills  is  found  a  road,  which  follows 
the  length  of  the  range,  and  leads  from  Bedford  to  Jamaica,  which  is 
intersected  by  the  two  roads  last  described :  these  ways  are  all  in- 
terrupted by  precipices,  and  by  excessively  difficult  and  narrow 
defiles. 

"  The  American  general,  wishing  to  arrest  the  enemy  upon  these 
heights,  had  carefully  furnished  them  with  troops ;  so  that,  if  all  had 
done  their  duty,  the  English  would  not  have  been  able  to  force  the 
passages  without  extreme  difficulty  and  danger.  The  posts  were  so 
frequent  upon  the  road  from  Bedford  to  Jamaica,  that  it  was  easy  to 
transmit,  from  one  of  these  points  to  the  other,  the  most  prompt  in- 
telligence of  what  passed  upon  the  three  routes.  Colonel  Miles,  with 
his  battalion,  was  to  guard  the  road  of  Flatland,  and  to  scour  it  con- 
tinually with  his  scouts,  as  well  as  that  of  Jamaica,  in  order  to  recon- 
noitre the  movements  of  the  enemy.  Meanwhile  the  British  army 
pressed  forward,  its  left  wing  being  to  the  north  and  its  right  to  the 
south ;  the  village  of  Flatbush  was  found  in  its  centre.  The  Hes- 
sians, commanded  by  General  Heister,  formed  the  main  body ;  the 
English,  under  Maior-general  Grant,  the  left ;  and  the  other  corps,  con- 
ducted by  General  Clinton,  and  the  two  lords,  Percy  and  Comwallis, 
composed  the  right.  In  this  wing  the  British  generals  had  placed 
their  principal  hope  of  success ;  they  directed  it  upon  Flatland.  Their 
plan  was,  that  while  the  corps  of  General  Grant,  and  the  Hessians 
of  General  Heister,  should  disquiet  the  enemy  upon  the  two  first  de- 
files, the  left  wing,  taking  a  circuit,  should  march  through  Flatland, 
and  endeavor  to  seize  the  point  of  intersection  of  this  road  with  that 
of  Jamaica ;  and  then  rapidly  descending  into  the  plain  which  extends 
at  the  foot  of  the  heights  upon  the  other  side,  should  fall  upon  the 
Americans  in  flank  and  rear.  The  English  hoped,  that  as  tnis  post 
was  the  most  distant  from  the  centre  of  the  army,  the  advanced 
guards  would  be  found  more  feeble  there,  and  perhaps  more  negli- 
gent :  finally,  they  calculated  that,  in  all  events,  the  Americans  would 
not  be  able  to  defend  it  against  a  force  so  superior.  This  right  wing 
of  the  English  was  the  most  numerous,  and  entirely  composed  of  se- 
lect troops. 

"  The  evening  of  the  twenty-sixth  of  August,  General  Clinton  commanded  the  vanguard, 
which  consisted  in  light  infandy ;  Lord  Percy  the  centre,  wheie  were  found  the  grenadiers, 
•im  sjrttbfy,  aud  the  eavalry ;  and  Coraws^liSi  the  fesr-guard,  followed  by  ihe  baajfago. 


lOur  it  con- 


KTN08  COtrilTY.  ||^1 

Mm  ragimmti  of  infiinlry  and  of  heavy  artiDeiy ;  aD  thu  pari  of  the  Ericlkh  tmf  nit 

IrTln  jr"  rt  ■^'i''''l  °^r  "^  -"«"««.  "d  leaving  Fladand.  tiSSSd  S?oS 

^*^^n„«  Hi?*"'.^''-    •^"'T*''  Mile.,  who  this  night  perforSied  his  aervice  with  litUewT 

PnSiL""i  T""-  *«  «PPr«»«=h  of  the  enemy;  ao  that  two  houn  before  day  the 

Enghah  were  already  wrnved  wuhin  a  half  mile  of  the  road  to  Jamaica,  upon  the  heiihtt! 

r«mvS  n^'i  ^''"r  4"l^'  ""*•  P"'*"'*  Wm«.lf  for  the  attack.    He  Umet  one  of  tS 

f„  .73^  *^     ?'!l.  "^  '""'?  ^""  ?'^""-    ®''"«"'  SuUivan,  who  commanded  aU  the  troo« 

^  JiZh  .^'  the  camp  of  Brooklyn,  had  no  advice  of  what  paaaed  in  thia  quarter  T 

neglected  to  send  out  fresn  acouu;  perhaps  he  supposed  the  English  wonld  direct  their 

principal  efforts  against  his  right  wing,  as  being  nearest  to  them.  ^onia  airect  tnelr 

h^tpn-H*"!!!^  CI'".'?"'.  Je*ming  from  his  prisoners  that  the  road  to  Jamaica  was  not  guarded. 

wSMof  riJ^'r-^°^*1  circumstance,  and  occupied  It  by  a  rapid  movement 

Doito^^Lfi!!     wTt  immediately  bore  to  his  left  towards  Bedford,  and  seized  an  Im. 

S^SiS^h^lv     *"/"/"•'?«  fno™!!  had  left  unguarded.    From  this  moment  the 

co™^.„H^L!L  "''r"''"^'"  *'?';°^  ••'*'  E"*'"**-    ^"^  Percy  came  up  with  his 

thl^l-in  Ik-  K  f  ^l*  column  descended  by  the  village  of  Bedford  from  the  heights  Into 

GeneS^^oi'n't  \7nTT  '^'  '"'"l  ""'*  *^«  *"""?  "^  '^'  Americans.    During*  Is  t  me 

whXLk^?«'         "^^1*°  amuse  the  enemy,  and  divert  his  attention  from  The  events 

^cSiS'i^fK''"^''•V^^°^^'\*'""'•••'"•^«»'°'«'^  to  disquiet  him  upon  his  right" 

Son  LS^m  ^?f  '""T^"^  '°  *^"=«  '^^  •*««'"  ^hlch  led  to  it,  he  had  put  himself  in  mo^ 

^Led  h     Thfv  ;."fi^'"^  attacked  the  militia  of  New  York'and  of  Pennsylvania? X 

SfedanlSnLl^   *'"'  ^^^1^'  »»•>»  General  Parsons  being  arrived,  and  having 

^3  Lord  Trlfn?' '"'  ""l^Z^^  *?  '"""''"*•  ■"••  maintained  his  position  tiU  Brigadier^ 

?!m!.      .^"^  Stiring  came  to  his  assistance  with  fifteen  hundred  men.    The  action  be 

Sans  on  lfrrrt'1?*H"'f,  ^TT.  ^"'"'^'^  "«'*«'  "»«  ""^  ««»«  " «'  the  other     The" 
r!!!!i  J  K    o         ?  oS.*'"''  attacked  the  centre  at  break  of  day ;  and  the  Americans  com 

SS.sh?hraf?'"r  •  '"  P'T"'  ^'^•""'^'^  '""'^""«»  thel^'effoJs     At™he  Z;  tTe" 
the  i!.ngli8h  ships,  after  having  made  several  movements,  opened  a  very  brisk  cannonade 

Alri'l  T  ^'"^^^^f  in>e  little  island  of  Red  Hook,  upon  Ih7riSrt  flarof  Ao 
Amerrans,  who  combated  against  General  Grant.    This  also  was  a  dlSn  die  obieet 

fc  Ameran*:  rflndla'T  'T  ''''f''"'  "^  "'"''  P'-^'^ '"  th"  c'ent^eTnd"  oMet 
,„n!i,  „  t  defended  themselves,  however,  with  extreme  gallantry,  ignorant  that  so 

GenerJalntrhpTJd'*  in  vain,  since  victory  was  already  in ^the  ha^d^fTe  enem^ 

w^  S^Sed  wi?h  ?if«  h"'"  '•*  ""»  *u'  P'""'  ^""  "P°"  *«  '«<■'  fl^nk  of  the  centre,  which 

btorce'ilTe  WcaL.    '^""'    ""'  """"  P'^^"'^'''  ^'"''^'^'^  "» «-«»  <=°n.s.  in  o^der  tS 

i\.lJ!^^fT-^^^^^  appearance  of  the  English  light  infantry  apprized 
them  of  their  danger,  they  sounded  the  ritreat,  and  retired  in  good 

fplMn  ST.1'  ^^^'\  ^^?P'  ^T^'^S  "^  ^^^^  ^^tillery.  But  they  loon 
tell  m  with  the  party  of  royal  troops  which  had  occupied  the  ground 
on  their  rear,  and  who  now  charged  them  with  fury;  they  were 
compelled  to  throw  themselves  into  the  neighboring  woods,^where 

t7  '"'^T'"  TV^^  ?"^^^^'  ^^°  ^«P"I««d  them  upon  the  Eng! 
nsn ,  and  thus  the  Americans  were  driven  several  times  by  the  one 
against  the  other  w  th  great  loss.    They  continued  for  somVtime  h 

In  hernrf?'''"'''°^'^'l^*^^°S*^  «^^^^^»  regiments,  anim^ed  by 
an  heroic  valor,  ppened  their  way  through  the  midst  if  the  enemy 

tt  IS  %V/'"P'^?'T1  ^"^^-^^  ^*^«"  escaped  th?oug^' 
si^or^ht  J*  ff^'T^''*?  °u^  *^?  S'°""'*'  ^^  g'eat  nu/nbers  of  p^o- 
the  llL  i,      It  offered,  and  the  disorder  which  prevailed  throughout 

weri  r^'n^tJ^  ^h'-^^T  ^^^  ^^'  '^""^"^^  ^"^^'^  ^ivers  partial  combats 

«  S.?"  •  "'^i?®'*.'  "*  ^^^'^  n^any  of  the  Americans  fell, 
nn-  if!""  ^®",^^og  and  centre  being  discomfited,  the  English,  desir- 
rtheLTi-'^'^^f-T'-^^^^^^^^P^^  '"^^^'"^"t  against  the  rear 
bef^tehiT^'  '^^'^*''  ™  Ignorance  of  the  misfortSne  which  had 
belfvllen  the  other  corps,  was  engaged  with  General  Grant.    Fir,«llv 
-^mg  receivea  ihe  intelligence,  they  retired.     But.  encountoing 


ip*«''*i*'fppp"n!*mP'9!* 


182 


•WW 


|: 


KINGS  COUNTY^ 


the  English,  who  cut  off  their  retreat,  a  part  of  the  soldiers  took  shel- 
ter  in  the  woods  ;  others  endeavored  to  make  their  way  through  the 
marthes  of  Gowan's  Cove  ;  but  here  many  were  drowned  m  the  wa- 
ters or  perished  in  the  mud;  a  very  small  number  only  escaoed  the 
hot  pursuit  of  the  victors,  and  reached  the  camp  m  safety.  1  he  total 
loss  of  the  Americans,  in  this  battle,  was  estimated  at  more  than  three 
thousand  men  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.  Among  the  last 
were  found  General  Sullivan,  and  Brigadier-general  Lord  btirlmg. 
Almost  the  entire  regiment  of  Maryland,  consisting  of  young  men  of 
the  best  families  in  that  province,  was  cut  to  pieces.  Six  pieces  of 
cannon  fell  into  the  power  of  the  victors.  The  loss  of  the  Lnglis" 
was  very  inconsiderable ;  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  it  did  not 
amount  to  four  hundred  men.  j        u 

"  The  enemy  encamped  in  front  of  the  Amencan  lines ;  and  on  the 
succeeding  night  broke  ground  within  six  hundred  yards  of  a  redoubt 
on  the  left,  and  threw  up  a  breastwork  on  the  Wallabout  heights, 
upon  the  Debevoice  farm,  commenced  firing  on  Fort  Putnam,  and 
reconnoitred  the  American  forces.    The  Americans  were  here  pre- 
pared to  receive  them ;  and  orders  issued  to  the  men  to  reserve  their 
fire  till  they  could  see  the  eyes  of  the  enemy.    A  few  of  the  British 
officers  reconnoitred  the  position,  and  one,  on  coming  near,  was  shot 
by  William  Van  Cotts,  of  Bushwick.    The  same  afternoon  Captain 
Rutgers,  brother  of  the  late  Colonel  Rutgers,  also  fell.     Several  other 
BriUsh  troops  were  killed,  and  the  column  which  had  incautiously 
advanced,  fell  back  beyond  the  range  of  the  American  fire.    In  this 
critical  state  of  the  American  army  on  Long  Island— in  front  a  nu- 
merous and  victorious  enemy  with  a  formidable  train  of  artillery,  the 
fleet  indicating  an  intention  of  forcing  a  passage  up  the  East  river, 
the  troops  lying  without  shelter  from  heavy  rains,  fatigued  and  dis- 
pirited—General Washington  determined  to  withdraw  the  army  from 
5ie  island ;  and  this  difficult  movement  was  effected  with  great  skill 
and  judgment,  and  witli  complete  success.    The  retreat  was  to  have 
commenced  at  eight  o'clock  m  the  evening  of  the  29th,  but  a  strong 
northeast  wind  and  a  rapid  tide  caused  a  delay  of  several  hours ;  a 
southwest  wind,  springing  up  at  eleven,  essentially  facilitated  its  pas- 
sage from  the  island  to  the  city  ;  and  a  thick  fog  hanging  over  Long 
Island  towards  morning,  concealed  its  movements  from  the  enemy, 
who  were  so  near  that  the  sound  of  their  pick-axes  and  shovels  was 
distinctly  heard  by  the  Americans. 

"  General  Washington,  as  far  as  possible,  inspected  every  thing 
from  the  commencement  of  the  action  on  the  morning  of  the  27th ; 
till  the  troops  were  safely  across  the  river,  he  never  closed  his  eyes, 
and  was  almost  constantly  on  horseback.  After  this  the  British  and 
their  allies,  the  tories  and  refugees,  had  possession  of  Long  Island  ; 
and  many  distressing  scenes  occurred,  which  were  never  made  public, 
and  can  therefore  never  be  known.  The  whigs,  who  had  been  at 
all  active  in  behalf  of  independence,  were  exiled  from  their  homes, 
and  their  dwellings  were  objects  of  indiscriminate  plunder.  Such  as 
could  i>©  Wk^ii*  were  incarcerated  in  tiie  church  of  New  Utrecht  and 


KINGS  COCNTY. 


133 


Flatlands ;  while  royalists,  by  wearing  a  red  badge  in  their  hats,  were 
protected  and  encouraged.  It  is  believed  that  had  Lord  Howe  availed 
himselt  ot  the  advantages  he  possessed  by  passing  his  ships  up  the 
river  between  Brooklyn  and  New  York,  the  whole  American  army 
must  have  been  almost  inevitably  captured  or  annihilated.  Generd 
Washington  saw  but  too  plainly  the  policy  which  might  have  been 
pursued,  and  wisely  resolved  rather  to  abandon  the  island  than  attempt 
to  retain  it  at  the  risk  of  sacrificing  his  army." 


Western  view  of  Williamsburg,  New  York. 

nf  WMi^^'^'u  '^'"^'  ^^^  appearance  of  the  central  part  of  the  village 
of  Wilhamsburg,  as  seen  from  the  New  York  side  of  the  East  riven 

n.l.iE  fh  '»         "^^  '^  "?'  commenced  by  a  few  spirited  individuals 
nearly  thirty  years  ago,  by  erecting  a  few  houses  Ld  establishing  a 
ferry  between  it  and  the  foot  of  Grand-street.     In  1817,  a  fenr  b?at 
impelled  by  horse  power,  gave  Williamsburg  a  new  impulse?Ind  in 
iS  f     f  incorporation  was  obtained.    The  village  has  a  bold 

rsuffidentTnV*''f       ,  "^       T  '""^  ^"^  ^  *^^>^'"  «-t«"^  and 
a  suflicient  depth  of  water  for  all  commercial   purposes.      Several 

arge    and  substantial  wharves  and  docks   have^been  constructed 

affording  safe  and  convenient  moorings  for  vessels  even  of  the  largest 

thTruJnf  n"^ V  w  "^^'u''  approximation  to  the  upper  parts  of 
he  city  of  New  York  from  the  eastern  towns  of  Long  Island,  bv  two 
lines  of  steam  ferry  boats.  So  great  has  been  the  proS  If  Z 
Foverrjent  that  the  anc  ent  village  of  Bushwick  can  scL?ly  be  de^- 
tified,  having  been  amalgamated  with  Williamsburg.  The  village  has 
now  upwards  of  70  streets  permanently  laid  out,  Ibout  30  Kwch 
have  been  graded  and  regulated,  some  paved,  and  one  macadai^zed 

lit  iDu^Kefor^rn^H  '^'i^  ^p"^'^  ^^f^^^'  '  churches-3  Sol: 
ist,  1  Uutch  Keformed,  and  1  Episcopal— a  newspaper  printing  office 
and  manufacturing  estaWishments  of  various  kiSdl    ?3uon  of 
the  village  m  1840,  5,094 ;  in  1845,  11,338 ;  in  1850,  3o!?86 


tM 


ICWIS  COUNTY. 


LEWIS  COUNTY. 


Lewis  county  was  taken  from  Oneida  in  1806,  and  named  in  honor 
of  Governor  Morgan  Lewis.  Centrally  distant  NW.  from  New  York 
876,  and  frpm  Albany  130  miles.  Greatest  length  N.  and  S.  64; 
greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  35  miles.  The  whole  of  this  county  was 
included  in  the  patent  from  the  state  to  Alexander  Macomb,  and  was 
sold  by  him  to  William  Constable,  and  by  the  latter  in  parcels :  the 
portion  west  of  the  Black  river,  to  capitalists  in  New  York  city,  among 
whom  Nicholas  Low,  Richard  Harrison,  and  Josiah  Ogden  Hoffman, 
were  principal  purchasers ;  and  the  portion  on  the  east  of  the  Black 
river,  to  a  French  company  in  Paris.  From  these  sources  the  present 
possessors  derived  their  title.  The  first  settlements  commenced  here 
in  1795,  by  pioneers  from  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  who,  with 
characteristic  enterprise  and  perseverance,  entered  the  wilderness  with 
a  determination  to  surmount  the  most  formidable  obstacles.  There 
were  at  this  time  small  settlements  at  Utica  and  Fort  Stanwix,  (now 
Rome,)  whence  the  settlers  made  their  way  into  this  county,  by  a  line 
of  marked  trees,  to  the  High  Falls,  on  Black  river ;  and  thence  floated 
with  the  stream  to  the  town  of  Lowville,  where  they  established  them- 
selves. Their  families  followed  in  the  succeeding  winter,  shod  with 
snow  shoes ;  mothers  making  their  way  with  infants  in  their  arms, 
whilst  their  husbands  and  fathers  trod  paths  through  the  snow  for  their 
cattle  and  teams.  It  was  not  unusual,  some  time  after,  for  farmers  to 
go  forty  miles  to  mill,  and  to  carry  the  grist  upon  their  shoulders. 

The  Black  river  divides  the  county  into  two  not  very  unequal  por- 
tions. Upon  this  river  are  broad  alluvial  flats,  of  easy  cultivation  and 
highly  productive.  Of  the  Black  river  we  may  observe  here,  that  be- 
low the  High  Falls  at  Leyden,  which  are  63  feet  in  altitude,  it  has  a 
tranquil  course  of  nearly  40  miles  through  the  country ;  in  all  which  it 
is  navigable  for  steamboats.  The  Black  river  canal,  the  construction 
of  which  was  authorized  in  May,  1836,  commences  at  Rome  in  Oneida 
county. 

The  county  is  at  present  thinly  inhabited,  but  it  merits  attention  from 
the  great  forests  of  useful  timber  which  encumber  the  soil,  the  beds  of 
iron  ore  which  lie  beneath  it,  and  the  vast  water-power  which  the 
streams  supply.  The  staple  products  are  wheat,  rye,  Indian  corn,  peas, 
beans,  oats,  and  barley,  and  the  whole  country  is  adapted  to  grass.  It 
is  divided  into  12  towns  : 

Croghan,  Greig,  Lowville,  Turin, 

Denmark,  Harrisburgh,      Martinsburgh,         Watson, 

Diana,  Leyden,  Pinckney,  West  Turin. 


Lowville,  on  the  great  road  from  Utica  to  Sacketts  Harbor,  3^  miles 
from  Martinsburg,  in  a  pleasant  valley,  handsomely  laid  out  in  squares, 
is  the  largest  village  in  the  county,  and  contains  4  churches,  a  flourishing 
incorporated  academy,  a  printing  office,  publishing  a  weekly  paper, 
1  large  grist  and  saw-mill,  and  60  neat  dwellings,     Martinsburg,  post 


\ 


UTlMorroif  CO01fTY. 


IM 


village  and  county  town,  is  situated  upon  a  hiih  and  commandina  .ite 
Tbo.it  twnmT  f     ^f,^»  County  Bank,  and  a  printing  office. 


LIVINGSTON  COUNTY. 

of  .he  mmfKtToraSer-  '"^  «°"''  ""^  ™  """^ 

southern  porton  of  Mount  M^rri.r  "«?,'<•'<'»'«?  ^'  oounly  inthe 
village  .  Lnch  mn8toD.nS.     ^'  ""'"  '"".th  of  Mount^Mo™ 


Sparta, 

Springwater, 

York. 


rS    •  Geneseo,  Lima, 

Caledonia,       .  Groveland,  Livonia, 

Conesus,  Leicester,  Mount  Morris,     xorK. 

^^ont^^e^^Ltol't^^^^  L-"««ton  county, 

about  120  dwelliZ  The  Zntv  h^,.W  '^Tl''  '\^^^^'  '»  ^°ntains 
county  high  school  newsn^^^^^^^  1^"  Livingston 

from  AlbaV  226,  Lm  wEl^n^'i^^  °  w  ?''  ^??  \^^"'^-  ^^^t*"* 
miles.  «'  Tlbe  vil  aeHs  n?^S?  ^?  '  ^^^  ^'°™  Rochester  about  27 
west,  and  emoys  a  &.ht?iS^  *  ^^^«  «'°Pi"?  to  the 

including  thi  LI  ST^lZn'^''\'''}''''S  across  the  valfey.  and 
-       _>,i.esier.     ^uv  lanascape,  embracing  an  area 


186 


UVINOITON   COUNTY. 


of  perhaps  fifteen  miles  in  diameter,  agreeably  undulated  with  gentle 
hills  and  valleys— rich  in  the  garniture  of  fields,  agreeably  interrupted 
by  masses  of  woods,  and  enlivened  by  villas,  bespeaking  the  comforta- 
ble circumstances  of  their  owners — forms  a  prospect  of  inatchless 
beauty.  It  ia  rendered  still  more  picturesque  by  the  river,  which  flows 
lazily  through  the  valley,  but  disclosing  only  here  and  there  a  section 
of  the  stream,  breaking  through  the  bower  of  trees  and  clustering  vine* 
by  which  its  bright  waters  are  overarched. 

"  This  town  was  first  settled  by  William  and  James  Wadsworth  in 
1790.  Lands  being  cheap,  and  they  being  gentlemen  of  sagacity,  who 
foresaw  the  rapid  growth  of  the  country  in  no  distant  prospective,  thev 
were  enabled  to  accumulate  splendid  estates.  The  former.  Gen.  Wil- 
liam Wadsworth,  served  with  his  militia  command  upon  the  Niagara 
frontier  during  the  last  war  with  England,  and  acquitted  himself  with 
gallantry.  Mr.  James  Wadsworth  (recently  deceased)  may  be  consid- 
ered the  patriarch  of  the  Genesee  country.  The  whole  valley  of  the 
Genesee  was  studded  with  Indian  towns,  when  the  white  men  made 
their  advances  thither,  and  the  country  was  full  of  Indians  when  he 
planted  himself  down  among  them.  Hi»  mansion,  the  abode  of  refine- 
ment and  elegant  hospitality,  is  finely  situated  at  the  southern  extrem- 
ity of  the  principal  street  ot  the  village,  embosomed' in  groves  of  orna- 
mental trees,  thickly  sprinkled,  among  which  are  the  elm,  locust,  and 
willow,  and  looking  out  upon  a  princely  domain  of  his  own,  including 
a  broad  sweep  of  flats Adjacent  to  the  mansion  is  a  large  gar- 
den, rich  with  every  description  of  fruit  which  the  climate  will  allow, 
and  adorned  with  flowers  of  every  variety  and  class  of  beauty. 

•'....  It  was  at  this  point  that  the  memorable  campaign  of  Gen- 
eral Sullivan  in  1 779  was  brought  to  a  close.  In  setting  this  expedi- 
tion on  foot,  it  was  the  intention  of  Washington  that  the  American 
forces  should  pass  through  to  the  great  Indian  and  loyalist  rendezvous 
at  Niagara ;  but  having  ravaged  the  most  populous  portions  of  the  In- 
dian country,  Sullivan,  for  reasons  never  fully  explamed,  proceeded  no 
further  than  Genesee — sending  a  detachment  across  the  river,  however, 
to  Little  Beardstown,  (now  the  town  of  Leicester.)  The  Indian  town 
of  Genesee,  lying  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river,  was  the  largest  of 
their  populous  places,  containing,  according  to  Sullivan's  official  report, 
*  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  houses,  most  of  them  very  elegant.  It 
was  beautifully  situated,  almost  encircled  with  a  clear  flat,  extending 
for  a  number  of  miles  ;  on  which  extensive  fields  of  corn  were  growing, 
together  with  every  kind  of  vegetable  that  could  be  conceived.'  This 
and  the  neighboring  towns,  together  with  thousands  of  acres  of  corn, 
were  destroyed.  The  Indians  were  disposed  to  make  a  stand  for  the 
protection  of  their  towns,  but  the  numbers  and  discipline  of  Sulhvan's 
army  were  too  much  for  them." 

During  Sullivan's  expedition,  Lieut.  Boyd  with  a  scouting  party  had 
a  severe  battle  with  a  superior  force  of  Indians  in  this  vicinity.  Boyd 
and  a  man  named  Parker  were  taken  prisoners,  and  the  former  tortured 
in  the  most  horrible  manner.    The  following  account  is  from  Wilkin- 


son's Annals  of  Bin^hamtoi: : 


V 

i 


LIVINOSTON    COUNTY. 


197 


commanded  by  the  colebr.ted  MoS  .nd  w^^ouf  f^J  .h  '^"'"  "^^  "?"  '"*'»*•  *'''«=''  '^•^ 
ground  near  the  Oene«,e  river  .t  ^nl^n.  1  n  i  (2, .  ^*  P"'P°*»  "'^  reconnoitering  the 
pl.ce  of  encampment"  E  Vete^n  m  1«.  .h^h'''^^''^'™''"?'''  «'  •  d»««nce  ftom  K 

when  they  got  K  3ace  of  the  r  H«,'i?:'-"  T"  "i"  ''"^'"«-  ^he  night  wa.  eo  far  7pem 
of  hi.  menfconcludelto  remit  quiervwrr;.t'  ""'  «*"•"' Boyd,  conaidering  the  fatU 
•rma,  tUl  the  next  rnorning" Id  then  o  de-nltrt  . """'  """  "'"  *'"'«••  ''^'P'"*  "?«"  ^» 
Accordingly,  a  little  befor?  dTybreiU.   h«  «?,  °  """^nger.  with  a  report  to  the  camp 

information  hat  the  onS  had  not  LI  h"    "^^  "Ifu"  ""'  •"""  »'«'>'  »f  'he  army  wiSi 

"  "At  dt ''.ft'  '^  ^-i^^' -^^^^^^  etnr/tt:  ^"'  ■"'""-*''  '^  "^  -  ^"  •^ 

.etUement.  One  of  whom  wli  imm.^  .  i  T'  <^»«r"*"'  '*»  ^n**'"™  '"'king  about  the 
the  name  of  Mu^hy  £17  BoTd^toln'^'  '"•'..■"'P/l. '"'  »'"'  "^  *.  riflemen,  bj 
would  be  arouwd  by  the  .^ort  of  thTrX  a?H  n^ii ''/  """''  '""''  ^'"''""'  ""'  '^••y 
«.ken  place,  the  scalping  ofTho  Indian-thought  if ^.^  ^^.  '  Perception  of  what  had  juat 
way  back  to  the  main  a?my.  TW  a^S/J^l'' "^"^  .r**?'  '*»  "'^!'  !'"•''"•''«'  h-  beat 
t.ken  the  evening  before.  accordingly  aet  out,  and  retraced  the  .tep.  they  had 

priiiedCtt  :X^T,!e'i:?afcr;fTbSr  o'ftSia''^*'^*''  ""^  '™^'  *«^  --  -- 

der  the  command  of  Br^t  Tnd  the  .al^umh«r  T'  ^^  «'"»"•'«  of  five  hundred,  un. 
Butler,  who  had  .ecreted  theSSS  "a  S,  „?  ""^r*  ^^ '"""•*'"' ^^  theinfaiou. 
fl.e  track  that  Lieut.  Boyd  hTjureued  Th"  °t  T''«'"'''V«'«"'.  ^Wcb  lay  acroM 
.ight  of  the  American  army  aince Te^r  «nn»^U  IV  ^"'^"^  "^  ''"'  «"«"'y  ^ad  not  Io.t 
though  they  had  not  ahown'^  hemselve.  tll^now*  W'fu  "u  "'5."'^*''  "^ove  Newto..^ 
neased  the  destruction  of  their  t^na  and  the  fmit.  S  "^'u  "I!"''  '^'y  ">""  ^ave  wit. 
of  our  army !    They  dare  not  however    .„!  ^       ^  """'"  .^*'''''  """  """''««'  ""e  progre* 

'^  "iTuVK  a:d\"  ^,^r^r^^of\7f^^^^^^^  "• — --^ '"-  ^-^  -y. 

only  ch.n-ce  for  thefr  t  '^^^'o^"  bTC  bTakitT'"!  *.^  '"I""''  "'"-'"^  *«  *« 
moet  desperate  undertakij^  made  the  bold  at  em«  *  J^?*!  •''.'""  ''"*"'  •""  ''"'«n>ri«.  of 
fimt  onset,  though  unsucceliful,  was  made  Soil  .i^  ,"'™°I«''"«n'  m  it  may  «,em,  the 
heroic  band,  though  several  of  the  eS?  Tere  k  llld  T  **^  f  """  °"  '•""  P"*  o'" »»'« 
which  were  equally  unsuccessful,  and "n  whi^h  i^e  wS«  n  T  ?'f'"'"'  ""'"  *«™  """i*. 
«nd  eight  others.  Boyd  and  a  soldier  hvTh«  „.  t&  F^^y  ''^"»  excepting  Lieut.  Boyd 
.pot;  a  part  of  the  remainder  fled  and  J  n^'tf!.?"  *»! /"'"'^  ^e'"  taken  prteoneiB  on  tLe 
overiooked  by  the  Indians,  who  weretcoC  I  °"  '^a  ^"""'^  "PParently  dead,  and  wew 
those  who  fell.  *  *""  "  *"*  *^  ""•'^  e^fiWed  m  pursuing  the  fugitivei  to  notice 

preSittmS^^^^^^^^  he  solicited  an  Interview  with  Brant, 

of  the  enemy,  rather  than  tm^^  tohTs  SLd  00^""^  "^t  ^^t^*?  "^  *«  ""^"W"  '«•<!« 
ment  near,  immediately  oresenteH  h  m..7f  u  *'*'''«»«"«•  The  chief,  who  was  at  that  mo. 
tokens  which  are  kn^nTn^bJ^thr  ^5.0  u^ve^r '"  ^''^■'  "^^  ""^  "^  ^^^^  "PP^S  wd 
mysteries,  and  which  never  faiHobSr  Iccort?.  wT  ''^T^'^  u""*^  in-tructedT  certain 
only  source  from  which  he  could  eS  re/DiLfr„n,"^T**  ^^l'^"''  "ddreMedhim  as  the 
peal  was  recognised,  and  Brant  fmm^j-  . ?  ."^  *'™*'  Punishment-or  death.  The  an. 
that  his  life  should  be  spared        "^""^""'y'  ""d  '»  1»e  strongest  language,  a;suredlS 

thrSnTifli:  Stfe^Xtdt^nS'^^  l""^  «^  *"  ^"'''-  - 

..de  of  the  Genesee  river,  and  7^1.  nalTJ^^fr''^^^  °^  ''*'"  "'""«.  ««  the  west 
Beardstown,  Bran^  beinir  called  onT«i^n  now  c^„^^  Leicester.  After  their  arrival  at 
in  the  care  of  Col.  BuUe^  The  latt„r  ?  which  required  a  few  houre-  absence,  left  them 
terrogation.  to  obtaXm  th?;r^ro?e;"srte"m"^„?™r"f  """"  'f^'  *«"'  comme^'cid  «„" 
of  the  army  under  SuUivan  j  and  ZeateneTZm  -^^  '"""ber.  situation,  and  intention, 
mtheir  answers,  to  deliver  tiiem„S»|i-^"' .--"-"'*''  they  hesitated  or  prevaricated 


138 


LIVINGSTON    COUNTY. 


we«  ready  to  co.u.it  the^«~.tej  crue.Ue.    I^^^^^^^^^ 

Brant  had  made  them,  and  which  he  »n«t J^*«'y  .„  "?f°  uh  revenge,  Butler  hantened 
Butler  the  desired  information.  Upon  th.8  "J'"''';""""^,^^  their  most  ferocious  ene- 
to  put  hi.  threat  into  exec„t«,n.  He  d^J^jed  them  to  ^™«  °J  ^T  for  his  inventive  fe- 
mies.  among  which  the  Indian  ^JV^f.  J'S'^.f '^tTas  fraU  the  other  scenes  of  cruelty 
rocity.  In  this,  th<itwa«  about  to  ^^f «  P'^^/^^^J^"^  ",  of  ceremonies.  The  stoutest 
that  were  perpetrated  in  his  town,  ^^'ff^^Xt^"  T^rfain  torture  and  death  ;  where, 
heart  quails  under  the  apprehension  "f'Xi^  that  fee^  The  suffering  lieutenant  wa. 

monies  with  terrifac  shouts  ot  joy.  ""^^"B  ^  '  .  .  ,:  „j,ich  they  t  ed  to  a  sapling, 
made  a  small  opening  in  his  abdomen,  took  °"' *"  "J*^''^^' 7y^' „ound  it  till  he  had 

s^rtw^J;^/^ftSrsLrz^^ 
c:gS:Ltr;i^rof"h!?aHrt}^^^ 

*^  »  ThuT^Jr^WraL  Boyd,  a  young  officer  of  heroic  virtue  -d  of  ^'-8  Jal-J^ 

audi  a  JTnnerthat  will  touch  the ''y™P*»»»''«  "^.''"r.'l^rn^^^^^^^^^ 

fellow-soldier,  and  fellow-sufferer,  P^'^er.  wa^obl.ged  to  wUneas  this  mov    g  j^  .^^_ 

«:ene,  and  in  full  expectation  of  passing  the  same  <''**"»\  .  ^^"Z^^^^^  incidentally 

formation,  in  relation  to  the  death  of  t^ese  ^wo  men.  whuch  h^  ofthe  two  bodies  by  th« 
from  the  Indian  account  of  it,  corroborated  by  the  dMCOvery  oi  luo  iw 
American  army,  Parker  was  only  beheaded. 


Western  view  of  Mount  Morris  village,  Livingston  county. 
Mount  Morris  village,  incorporated  i^  1835.  is  at  the  head  of  the 
boat  navigation  on  Genesee  nver,  36  miles  |u.°^„^°'^^^^^^^^ 
the  Genelee  valley  canal  38^,  from  Geneseo  SW  6  miles.  1  he  site 
is  beautiful,  being  elevated  above  the  fertile  Aat^vvhich  border  tne 
rivpr  The  annexed  view  was  taken  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Jo- 
seph StISceyTSe  three  churches  seen  in  front  are  ^/'P^f  lively 
hTEpi  copa^  Baptist,  and  Methodist ;  the  spire  on  the  left  is  that  of 
the  Yresbyterian  church.  The  hills  in  the  distance  are  on  the  op^ 
posite  side  of  the  Genesee  flats.    The  village  contains  about  150 

"^"DSle.  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  county,  18  miles  SE. 


I 


LONG   ISLAND. 


139 


from  Geneseo,  45  from  Rochester,  and  231  from  Albany,  is  a  flourish- 
ing village  of  upwards  of  200  dwellings,  4  churches,  a  bank,  and  an 
a^aaemy.  Within  a  circle  of  6  miles  there  are  about  60  saw-mills 
The  Dansville  Branch  of  the  Genesee  Valley  Canal  commences  at 
this  place,  and  unites  with  the  main  canal  about  11  miles  distant. 
Lima  village  is  a  scattered  village  of  about  100  neat  dwellings,  and  is 
the  seat  ofthe  Genesee  Wesleyan  University,  a  flourishing  institution. 
Avon,  the  seat  of  the  medicinal  springs,  about  10  miles  from  Geneseo, 
IS  a  finely-situated  village  of  about  90  dwellings. 


LONG  ISLAND. 

"  ^r^?  Island  maybe  described  as  the  southeasterly  portion  ofthe 
state  of  New  York,  and  extending  from  about  40°  34'  to  41  *>  10'  north 
latitude,  and  from  2»  58°  to  5°  3'  east  longitude  from  Washington 
city;  being  m  length  from  Fort  Hamilton,  at  the  Narrows,  to  Mon- 
**"l  oioS!!^*'''^  °"f  hundred  and  forty  miles,  with  a  i.iean  ranire 
north,  80°  44'  east.  Its  breadth  from  the  Narrows,  as  far  east  as  the 
^ecomc  bay,  variesTrom  12  to  20  miles  in  a  distance  of  ninety  miles." 
A  ndge  or  chain  of  hills  commences  at  New  Utrecht,  in  Kings  county, 
and  extends  with  occasional  interruptions  to  near  Oyster  Pond  Point 
m  Suff-olk  county.  The  surface  of  the  island  north  of  the  ridee  is 
in  general  rough  and  broken,  while  the  surface  south  of  the  range  is 
almost  a  perfect  plain,  with  scarce  a  stone  exceeding  in  weight  a  few 
ounces.  ° 

On  the  south  side  of  the  island  is  the  great  So^th  bay,  extending 
trom  Hempstead  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  Brookhaven— a  distance 
ot  more  than  seventy  miles  of  uninterrupted  inland"  navigation.    It 
vanes  m  width  from  two  to  five  miles,  communicating  with  the  sea 
by  a  few  openings  in  the  beach,  the  principal  of  which  is  opposite 
the  town  of  Ishp,  called  Five  Island  Inlet,    hi  this  bay  are  very  exten- 
sive  tracts  of  salt  marsh,  and  islands  of  meadow  furnishing  immense 
quantities  of  grass;  while  its  waters  contain  great  quantities  of  shell 
and  scale  fish.    Wild-fowl  of  many  kinds  ^qd  in  almost  countless 
numbers  are  found  here    and  many  hundreds  pf  people  are  engaged 
m  taking  them  for  the  New  York  market.     The  north  shore  of  the 
island  IS  very  irregular,  and  where  not  protected  by  masses  of  rock 
and  stone,  has  been  worn  away  by  the  sea  to  a  considerable  extent. 
Ihe  soil  on  the  north  side  generally  consists  of  loam,  on  the  south 
side  It  consists  more  of  sand,  while  through  |he  middle  of  the  island  it 
consists  chiefly  of  sand  and  gravel.    The  sojl  on  the  high  grounds  is 
in  most  cases  better  than  that  upon  the  plains,  yet  that  found  upon  the 
necks  or  points  on  both  sides  is  better  than  cipher.     The  soil  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  is  highly  productive  ^^d  valuable,  but  in  the 
peater  part  of  the  island  it  is  naturally  light  ^nd  poor.     Much  of  the 
land  in  the  central  part  ofthe  island  is  covered  with  a  vast  pine  forest 
III  wuitn  TTiiu  ucci  urc  sua  lo  oe  lound. 


tl 


140 


MADISON   COUNTY. 


Long  Island  was  claimed  by  the  Dutch  and  English  nations  re- 
spectively by  right  of  discovery.  The  Dutch  commenced  their  set- 
tlements as  early  as  1625,  at  the  west  end  of  the  island.  In  1623, 
the  Plymouth  company,  by  order  of  Charles  I.,  issued  letters  patent 
to  William  Alexander,  Earl  of  Stirling,  for  the  whole  of  the  island. 
The  English  made  settlements  at  the  east  end  of  the  island,  but  they 
were  for  a  season  resisted  by  the  Dutch.  The  settlements,  both  at 
the  E.  and  W.  end,  were  nearly  cotemporary.  In  the  Dutch  towns, 
the  Indian  title  was  bought  by  the  governor,  and  the  lands  granted  to 
individuals  by  him  ;  in  the  English  towns  lands  were  obtained  under 
the  license  of  the  agent  of  Loi3  Stirling,  and  after  his  death,  by  the 
people  of  the  several  towns  for  their  common  benefit.  The  line  of 
division  between  the  two  nations  was  a  source  of  much  contention  and 
many  complaints.  The  several  English  towns  united  themselves  with 
the  colonies  of  Connecticut  and  New  Haven.  After  Connecticut  re- 
ceived her  royal  charter,  in  1662,  she  exercised  jurisdiction,  and  gave 
each  of  the  towns  who  united  with  her,  permission  to  send  a  deputy 
to  the  general  court.  But  before  these  measures  could  be  fully  com- 
pleted, they  were  frustrated  by  the  grant  of  Long  Island  to  the  Duke 
of  York.  Long  Island  js  4ivided  into  three  counties — Kings,  Queens, 
SuflFolk. 


MADISON  COUNTY. 

Madison  county  was  taken  from  Chenango  county  in  1806,  and 
named  after  James  Madisop,  president  of  the  United  States.  Great- 
est length  N.  and  S.  33,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  32  miles.  Cen- 
trally distant  from  New  York  250,  from  Albany  108  miles.  The 
surface  of  the  county  is  much  diversified.  The  middle  and  southern 
towns,  are  more  or  less  uneven  and  hilly ;  but  the  northern  is  more 
level.  In  the  northern  j)art  much  wheat  is  produced  :  the  southern  is 
better  adapted  to  grass.  The  county  is  generally  well  watered.  The 
route  of  tne  Chenango  canal  follows  up  the  Oriskany,  and  crosses 
thence  ii)to  the  Chenango  valley.  The  Erie  canal  runs  westerly 
through  the  northern  towns  of  Leqox  ^nd  Sullivan.  The  county  is 
divided  int;o  14  towns. 


Brookfield, 
Cazenovia, 
De  Ruyter, 
Eaton, 


Fenner, 
Georgetown, 
Hamilton, 
Lebanon, 


Lenox, 
Madison, 

Nelson, 
Smithfield, 


Stockbridge, 
Sullivan. 


Morrisville,  the  county  seat,  102  miles  from  Albany,  and  15  S.  of 
the  Erie  canal,  was  founded  in  1803,  by  Thomas  Morris  from  Con- 
nectjcpj,  The  village  consists  of  about  J  00  dwellings,  the  county 
buildings,  3  churches,  and  an  academy. 


MADISON   COUNTY. 


141 


Southwestern  view  of  Cazefiovia. 

Cazenovia  village  was  founded  by  Col  Linklaen,  about  1795.  and 
incorporated  in  1800.  •«'«,  aim 

It  IS  situated  upon  the  margin  of  Co?!enovia  lake  and  its  outlet,  and 
upon  Chittenango  creek,  8  miL.  S.  of  the  Erie  canal,  11  from  Mor- 
[i?<iV^  .fro'"  Utica.  and  1 13  from  Albany.    The  above  engraving 

L  kkY"  "t^  1  ?"'  '''"'«'  "'  '''"  ^'J""^  '^^  ^"^««'  *t  '^^  outlet  of 
the  lake.  The  village  contains  unwards  of  200  dwellings,  1  Presby- 
terian, 1  Methodist,  1  Baptist,  an5  1  Congregational  church,  a  bank. 
2  printing  offices  and  t£e  "  Oneida  Conferlnce  Seminary,"  incorpol 
rated  in  1825.  This  mstitut.on  was  established  under  the  patronlge 
of  the  Methodist  denomination,  and  has  ever  maintained  a   high 


06 


Northern  view  of  Hamilton  villa^^^M^f^T^^        ^ 

Hamilton  village  is  8  njiles  SW.  of  Morrisville,  28  from  Utica  and 
•  from  Albany  :  it  nonta^n"  .in««H-  -^  «'^o  J     *  •         -  -"    ? 

J  ,       ,5_  ..,j„«r.as>  ^Js.  o\j\}  uvvciiings,  I  liaptist,  I 


( 


us 


MADISON   COUNTY. 


Presbyterian,  and  1  Methodist  church,  and  a  newspaoer  printing 
office.    The  above  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  the  village  as 
seen  from  a  point  near  the  burying-ground.     The  buildings  of  the 
"  Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Seminary"  are  seen  on  the  ele 
vated  ground  on  the  left.  This  institution  was  incorporaled  m  1819,  and 
commenced  operations  in  1820.    The  principal  kildmg,  which  was 
erected  in  1827,  is  of  stone,  100  by  60  feet,  4  stories,  containing  34 
rooms  for  study,  34  lodging  rooms,  a  readme  room,  library,  and  a 
largTchapel.    Another  la?ge*stone  edifice,  100  feet  bv  60.  was  erect- 
ed  m  1834.    There  is  a  boarding-house,  a  jomer  s  shop,  and  a  tarm 
of  130  acres  belonging  to  the  society.    The  regular  course  of  studies 
is  six  years ;  four  in  the  collegiate,  and  two  in  the  theological  depart- 
ment.   This  seminary  was  established  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Baptists,  and  it  is  said  to  be  the  largest  theological  mstitution  of  that 
denomination  in  the  world.    "  The  institution  is  open  to  young  men 
having  the  ministry  in  view  from  every  denommation  of  evangeUcal 

^^D?'Ruvter  village,  17  miles  SW.  of  MorrisviUe,  has  about  75 
dwellings,  and  the  De  Ruyter  Institute,  a  literary  seminary,  established 
under  the  patronage  of  the  Seventh-day  Baptists.  Chittenango,  1 
mile  S.  of  the  Erie  canal,  2  from  the  railroad,  34  from  Utica,  is  a  vil- 
laee  of  100  dweUings,  3  churches,  a  large  woollen  factory,  and  several 
other  manufacturiu^  estabUshments.  Canastota  on  the  line  of  the 
Erie  canal  and  railroad,  has  upwards  of  100  dweUmgs,  3  churches, 
and  is  an  active  place  of  business. 


MONROE  COUNTY. 

Monroe  county  was  taken  from  Ontario  and  Genesee  in  1821. 
Distant  from  New  York  by  way  of  Albany  NW.  365,  and  from 
Albany  W.  219  miles.    Greatest  length  E.  and  W.  34,  greatest 
breadth  N.  and  S.  24  miles.     The  surface  is  level,  or  gent  y  wav- 
ing.    The  mountain  ridge,  a  high  terrace  of  land  nearly  parallel  with 
Lake  Ontario,  extends  across  the  county,  as  also  the  alluvial  way, 
supposed  to  have  been  formed  by  the  action  of  the  waters  of  that 
lake  at  some  former  period.    The  soil  is  generally  a  rich  mould  and 
very  productive.    '*  It  is  said  that  an  analysis  of  the  Genesee  wheat, 
for  which  this  county  is  so  celebrated,  exhibits  more  saccharum  than 
that  of  the  southern  states;  whilst  the  latter  combines  with  a  larger 
portion  of  water  in  the  composition  of  bread.    This  may  explain  why 
southern  flour  is  more  acceptable  to  the  baker,  and  Genesee  to  the 
consumer.    It  is  common  for  extensive  farmers  to  sow  from  50  to 
200  acres  with  wheal,  and  to  reap  an  average  crop  of  20  bushe  s  to 
the  acre.    The  product  is  sometimes  30,  40,  and  even  50  bushels  to 
the  acre."     The  long  level  of  the  Erie  canal  continues  2i  miles  b. 
of  the  Genesee  river.     In  the  towns  of  Rochester,  Mendon.^nd  Gates, 
there  are  sulphur  springs.    "  The  towns  of  Fafma,  Ogden,  Chiii,  ^viga, 


MONROE   COUNTY. 


148 


Henrietta, 

Penfield, 

Rush, 

Irondequoit, 

Perrinton, 

Sweden, 

Mendon, 

Pittsford, 

Webster, 

Ogden, 

Riga, 

Wheatland 

Parma, 

Rochester, 

Gates,  and  Greece,  £.  of  the  Triangle,  belonged  to  the  great  tract  of 
Phelps  and  Gorham,  together  with  that  portion  of  the  county  E.  of 
the  Genesee  river.  Clarkson  and  Sweden,  part  of  the  Triangle,  and 
Wheatland,  were  of  the  tract  purchased  by  Kobert  Morris  from  Mas- 
sachusetts. Phelps  and  Gorham  sold  out  Greece  and  Gates,  in  frac- 
tional parts  to  settlers ;  and  Parma,  Ogden,  Riga,  and  Chili,  in  mass 
to  Robert  Morris.  The  lands  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  were  sold 
by  them  in  parcels,  consisting  of  whole  and  parts  of  townships.  The 
county  was  settled  chiefly  by  emigrants  from  New  England,  with  a 
few  from  Pennsylvania  and  the  lower  parts  of  New  York."  It  con- 
tains the  city  of  Rochester  and  19  towns,  viz. : 

Brighton, 

Chili, 

Clarkson, 

Gates, 

Greece, 

Rochester,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  instances  of  a  rapid  and  vig- 
orous growth  as  a  village  or  city  in  this  country,  is  situated  in  lat.  N. 
43°,  long.  W.  40' ;  distant  from  Albany  217  miles,  BuflFalo  73,  Canan- 
daigua  28,  Batavia  35,  S.  from  Lake  Ontario  7,  and  361  miles  from 
Washington.  In  the  year  1810  there  was  not  a  house  where  Roch- 
ester now  stands.  The  first  allotments  for  a  village  were  made  in 
1812,  when  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Charies  H.  Carroll,  and  William 
Fitzhugh,  surveyed  the  hundred-acre  tract  for  a  settlement,  under  the 
name  of  "  Rochester"  after  the  senior  proprietor.  This  tract  was  a 
"  mill-lot,"  bestowed  by  Phelps  and  Gorham  on  a  semi-savage  called 
Indian  Allen,  as  a  bonus  for  building  mills  to  grind  com  and  saw 
boards  for  the  few  settlers  in  this  region  at  the  time.  The  mills  de- 
cayed, as  the  business  of  the  country  was  insufficient  to  support  them, 
and  Allen  sold  the  property  to  Sir  William  Pulteney,  whose  estate 
then  included  a  large  section  of  the  "  Genesee  country."  The  sale 
to  Rochester,  Fitzhugh,  and  Carroll,  took  place  in  1802,  at  the  rate 
of  $15.50  per  acre,  or  $1,750  for  the  lot,  with  its  "betterments." 
Some  of  the  land  on  the  east  side  of  the  Genesee  in  Rochester,  (the 
hundred-acre  tract  being  on  the  west  side,)  was  sold  by  Phelps  and 
Gorham  in  1790,  for  eighteen  pence  an  acre. 

The  last  war  with  Great  Britain,  which  produced  much  distress  in 
this  frontier  region,  impeded  the  progress  of  Rochester  to  such  a  de- 
gree, that  the  population  at  the  commencement  of  1816  amounted  to 
only  331.  By  the  opening  of  the  Erie  canal,  Rochester  became  the 
great  thoroughfare  between  the  seaboard  and  the  inland  waters.  On 
the  incorporation  of  the  village  in  1817,  about  750  acres  were  includ- 
ed within  its  limits.  The  city  charter,  in  1834,  extended  the  bounds 
so  as  to  embrace  upwards  of  4,000  acres.  The  staple  product  of  the 
fertile  valley  of  the  Genesee  is  wheat,  remarkable  for  its  quantity  as 
well  as  its  quality.  Its  celebrity  is  increased  by  the  skill  with  which 
it  is  prepared  for  market.  By  the  immense  water-power  formed  by 
the  fails  of  the  Genesee,  Rochester  is  the  largest  as  well  as  the  best 


k 


144 


MONROE  COUNTY. 


flour  manufactory  in  the  world.  There  are  now  within  the  city  20 
mills,  (exclusive  of  grist-mills,)  with  nearly  100  runs  of  stone.  These 
mills  are  capable  of  manufacturing  5,000  barrels  of  flour  daily,  and 
when  in  full  operation,  require  about  20,000  bushels  of  wheat  daily. 
About  half  a  million  barrels  of  flour  are  yearly  manufactured.  There 
are  1 2  saw-mills,  and  various  other  establishments  that  use  the  water- 

?ower,  such  as  turning,  stone-cutting,  grinding  dye-woods  and  bark, 
'here  are  1  cotton  and  3  woollen  mills.  Carpets,  edge  tools,  and  va- 
rious other  articles  are  here  manufactured.  The  business  portion  of 
the  city  is  compactly  built,  and  contains  many  splendid  houses  and 
stores  four  stories  high.  The  east  and  west  portions  of  the  city  are 
connected  by  several  bridges,  and  by  the  great  aqueduct  of  the  Erie 
canal,  upwards  of  800  feet  long.  There  are  about  2000  dwelling- 
houses,  the  county  buildings,  2  public  markets,  6  banking  houses,  5 
Presbyterian,  2  Episcopal,  2  Baptist,  2  Methodist,2  Catholic,  2  Friends, 
1  Covenanters,  1  ITniversalist,  1  Lutheran,  and  1  Christian  churches, 
24  hotels  and  taverns,  6  newspapers,  and  numerous  religious,  benevo- 
lent, and  literary  associations,     ropulation  in  1850  was  36,588. 


Genesee  Falls  at  Rochester. 

The  following  is  a  view  of  the  middle  or  main  falls,  as  seen  from 
the  east  bank  of  the  Genesee.  The  Rochester  and  Auburn  railroad 
bridge  is  viewed  a  few  rods  north  of  the  falls.  The  perpendicular  fall 
of  the  water  at  this  place  is  96  feet ;  towards  the  right  of  the  engra- 
ving is  seen  a  small  tabular  projection  from  the  general  line  of  the 
verge  of  the  precipice.  From  this  projection,  in  the  fall  of  1829, 
Sam  Patch  took  a  last  leap,  and  perished,  not  much  unlike  many  oth- 
ers before  him, 

"  seeking  the  bubble  reputation,  even  in  the  cannon's  mouth." 

The  river  below  this  fall  i->  broad  and  deep,  with  occasional  rapids 
for  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  Lo-ver  Falls,  the  first  25,  the  'J  n  34  leet, 
making  a  total  descent  of  109  ieet  in  a  few  rods.   Just  below  this  place 


in  the  city  20 
stone.  These 
lour  daily,  and 
of  wheat  daily, 
tured.  There 
use  the  water- 
lods  and  bark. 
;  tools,  and  va- 
ess  portion  of 
lid  houses  and 
of  the  city  are 
jct  of  the  Erie 
2000  dwelling- 
king  houses,  5 
lolic,  2  Friends, 
Jtian  churches, 
igious,  benevo- 
I  36,588. 


I,  as  seen  from 
Luburn  railroad 
irpendicular  fall 
t  of  the  engra- 
;ral  line  of  the 
s  fall  of  1829, 
ilike  many  oth- 

)Uth." 

» 

;casionai  rapids 
e  yl  er  84  feet, 
)elo',v  this  place 


.--J 


MoMftOK  covimr. 


14} 


stood  the  celebrated  Carthage  bridge,  remarkable  in  its  fate  ai  in  if 
conatnicuon     It  waa  compfeted  in  February.  1819-  it  consSiS  if 
an  entire  arch,  the  chord  of  which  was  SSg^feet,  .^d  the  veriedliSl 
64  feet     It.  entire  length  was  718  feet,  and  the  width  30 :  the  «um 
mit  of  the  arch  was  196  feet  from  the  water.     "  The  moat  lohy  Si 
^h  at  present  m  Europe,  is  116  feet  less  in  length  San  tK, 
and  the  arch  not  as  high  by  96  feet."    This  darifg  work  stZl  bui 
one  year  and  one  day;  which  latter  period  saved  KuilderfrZ 
loss,  as  thev  guarantied  that  the  structure  should  endure  for  ^  ^ 

irarr^  s?^™r^X«  r.£"^Si 

westward  from  Sodus  bay,  Wayne  countv     Thl   ^"^an^,  extending 

upper  bank.,  which  .re  here  about"  MfeeThigh'  '"''°"'"  ™  ** 
Thf-m     '        ?"'e»  NW.  from  Rochester,  and  239  from  AIh»nv 

ed  a  noble  .toSe  buildni  fire  toriea  £  f„7  f"'"'  '''"'^  '"«'■ 
«  an  expenae  <>l*iB,0^  I^LSdj^'fu'"  "u'litution, 
chaaed  £  this  viUage  Zthe  R^he^rS."  «f!!!lh"  ^f"  P""" 
bough^heremisal    The  fiS^trdt^^Jlf  Iho^^^C  t"e'rS  t"cS 

mains  of  four  ancient  fortificMior     TV.?,  k      ""'  P'°"  "■»  «• 
rjt„^t^,.t,V.5irVour'l"Le*"j:Xd1^^  -^ 


146 


MONTOOMBRY   COCKTY. 


MONTGOMERY  COUNTY. 


MoNTOoMBRT  COUNTY  wa8  named  after  the  lamented  Gen.  Montgom- 
ery, who  fell  at  the  attack  on  Ov' .  [  'he  revolution.  Its  greatest 
length  is  34  E.  and  W.,  great-  ^  bxeadtii  N.  and  S.  13  miles.  It  was 
originally  taken  from  Albany,  aiui  r  .<  1  in  honor  of  William  Tryon, 
then  governor  of  the  province.  Its  name  was  changed  in  1784.  It 
embraced  all  that  part  of  the  state  lying  west  of  a  line  running  north 
and  south  nearly  through  the  centre  of  the  present  county  of  Sdiohane. 
It  was  divided  into  five  districts— subdivided  into  preciiir.ts.  The  Mo- 
hawk district  included  Fort  Hunter,  Caughnawnfra.  Tohnstown,  and 
Kingsboro';  Canajoharie  district  embraced  u8  picbccn  town  of  that 
name,  with  all  the  country  southward,  comprehendinK  Cherry  Valley, 
of  Otsego,  and  Harpersfield  of  Delaware  counties  ;  Palatine  district, 
north  of  the  Mohawkj  extended  over  the  region  so  called,  and  Stone 
Arabia,  &c. ;  Gerraaii  Flats  district  and  Kingsland  covered  the  most 
western  settlem'.;nts.  The  Erie  canal  crosses  the  county  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Mohawk,  and  the  Schenectady  and  Ulica  railroad  on  the 
north  side.  The  Erie  canal  passes  the  Schoharie  creek  through  a 
pond  formed  by  a  dam  across  the  stream  below.  Its  fall  within  this 
county  is  86  feet,  by  12  locks.    The  county  is  divided  into  ten  towns : 

Amsterdam,  Florida,  Minden,  St.  Johnsville. 

Canajoharie,  Glenn,  Palatine, 

Charleston,  Mohawk,  Root, 


East  view  of  the  Courthouse  and  Hotel  in  Fonda. 

The  above  is  an  engraving  of  the  courthouse  and  hotel  recently 
erected  in  the  new  village  of  Fonda.  The  railroad  passes  between 
these  two  buildings.  The  central  part  of  the  village  of  Caughnawaga 
is  about  half  a  mile  eastward  of  the  courthouse,  and  consists  of  about 
30  dwelling-houses,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk,  40  miles  from 
Albany,  and  4  miles  S.  from  Johnstown.  The  village  occupies  the  site 
of  an  ancient  Indian  village,  one  of  the  principal  towns  of  the  Mohawk 
tribe. 


/ 


MONTOOJIIRY  COUNTY. 


147 


Ancient  Church,  Mohatek. 


The  annexed  is  a  representation  of 
the  ancient  Dutch  church  in  Caughna- 
wap.  It  is  a  massive  stone  structure, 
and  18  beheved  to  have  been  erected  in 
1763.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the 
inscription  on  the  stone  tablet  which 
was  fonnerly  placed  over  the  door  : 

Komt  laett  ons  op  gaen  tot  den 
Bergh  des  Heeren,  to  den  huyse  des 
Godes  Jacobs,  op  dat  hy  ons  leere  van 
syne  wegen,  en  dat  wy  wandele  in 
syne  paden." 

["  Comfl  ye,  and  let  u«  go  up  to  the  mountain 
of  the  Lord  ;  to  the  houM  of  the  God  of  Jacob, 
and  he  will  troch  ui  his  wavi,  and  we  will  walk 
in  his  [«alhs,"] 


ito  ten  towns 
it.  Johnsville. 


Southern  vieu,  of  Sir  Guy  JohnsorCs  house,  Amsterdam. 


modious  bridge  ^  *^^  "''^''  °^^^  ^^'^^h  there  is  a  com- 

Gu^ythnt;:  tTe^^^^  2T''  ''  ^'''."T^°"  ^^^  °^  Colonel 

of  stone,  on  the  rth  bink  o  th.lf 'h'''  ^'^l'^  '^'  ''''''  '*  "  ^uilt 
dam  village.  TJie  western  ra^r^J^  '''  ^^°"'  ^"'''"  ^'^"^  ^«»«r. 
in  front.  It  is  a  belSful  shu  2n  Z  ^^'''%^^^^  ^ods  north,  and 
Park."    The  hout'occ^i'd^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  "«"y 

west,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Sie  road      Th.L  v^  ^V^^^  *°  ^^^ 

t.ally  in  the  rank  and  splenX  of  noblemln    HI  T"  ^'"'^  ^''''  ''''"" 
confiscated  bv  the  state  fnVt»».;r  "Jf^^™^"'  ^'"  ^^i^  possessions  were 
John  «,oo  „  °7_- !.^..^^  ^""^  V'^'l  adherence  to  the  British  cansA      S.> 
a.,  ...  .=  ^„p^ia,  as  iu«  lather.  Sir  Wilham  Johnson.'beiiig  le.. 


us 


MONTOOMERY    COUNTY. 


■ocial  and  less  acquainted  with  human  nature.  He  accompanied  hu 
father  on  some  of  nia  military  expeditions,  and  probably  saw  conaido  ta- 
ble service.  After  hia  fliaht  from  Johnstown  to  Canada,  he,  in  the 
month  of  January,  1777,  found  his  way  into  New  York,  then  in  pos- 
session of  the  British  troops.  "  From  that  period  he  became  not  only 
one  of  the  most  active,  but  one  of  the  bitterest  foes  of  his  own  coun- 
trymen of  any  who  were  engaged  in  the  war,  and  repeatedly  the  scourge 
of  his  own  former  neighbors.  He  was  unquestionably  a  loyalist  from 
principle,  else  he  would  scarcely  have  hazarded,  as  he  did,  and  ulti- 
mately lost,  domains  larger  and  fairer  than  probably  ever  belonged  to  a 
single  proprietor  in  America,  William  Penn  only  excepted." 

After  the  flight  of  Sir  John  from  Johnson  Hall,  [see  Fulton  co.,] 
lady  Johnson,  nis  wife,  was  removed  to  Albany,  where  she  was  re- 
tained as  a  kind  of  hostage  for  the  good  conduct  of  her  husband.  "She 
wrote  to  Gen.  Washington  complaining  of  this  detention,  and  asking 
his  interference  for  her  relief;  but  the  commander-in-chief  left  the 
matter  with  Gen.  Schuyler  and  the  Albany  committee.  After  the  con- 
fiscation of  the  property  of  Sir  John,  the  furniture  of  the  hall  was  sold 
at  auction  at  Fort  Hunter.  The  late  lieutenant-governor  of  New  York, 
John  Taylor,  purchased  several  articles  of  the  furniture ;  and  among 
other  things,  the  Bible  mentioned  in  the  text.  Perceiving  that  it  con- 
tained the  family  record,  which  might  be  of  great  value  to  Sir  John, 
Mr.  Taylor  wrote  a  civil  note  to  Sir  John,  offering  its  restoration. 
Some  time  afterward  a  messenger  from  the  baronet  called  for  the  Bi- 
ble, whose  conduct  was  so  rude  as  to  give  offence.  '  I  have  come  for 
Sir  William's  Bible,'  said  he,  '  and  there  are  four  guineas  which  it 
cost.'  The  Bible  was  delivered,  and  the  runner  was  asked  what  mes- 
sage Sir  John  had  sent.  The  reply  was,  *  Pay  four  guineas  and  take 
the  book!'" — Stone's  Life  of  Brant. 


Eastern  view  of  Canajoharie. 

The  village  of  Canajoharie  was  incorporated  in  1829 

PFeeK 


tc4  %\  the  con/|^eflcc  oi  xjowman 


It  is  situa- 
ith  the  Mohawk,  and  on  the 


J 


MONTOOMBIY   COUNTY. 


149 


Erie  canal  8ft  milet  from  Albany.     It  consists  of  about  1 00  houses,  a 

t^Zl"!  frb  '"/  2"if''.^^'"y-.  '^''«  ^^d"'  «  newspaper,  edited 
and  printed  by  Mr  L.  S.  Backus,  a  deaf  and  dumb  person,  is  published 
m  th.s  place.  "The  Canajoharie  and  Palatine  iufaituring  com- 
pany was  incorporated  m  1833.  The  accompanying  engravinifshows 
Uje  appearance  of  the  village  as  viewed  from  the  elevate^d  ban?  Jf  the 
Mohawk  a  tew  rods  from  the  bridge  seen  passing  over  the  river/con- 
necting the  village  of  Palatine  Bridge  w.th  Canajoharie. 
th«  Mnh  »P""8,"^17»H.  the  Indians  again  made  their  appearance  in 

irSefs  toTnrr'^-     ^1"-  ^''"J°"  [•^^"?«  «^  »h«'^  movements,  sen" 
orders  to  Col.  Gansevoort.  on  the  6lh  of  June,  to  repair  to  Fort  Plank 

Port  Schuyler.     These  stores  were  to  be  transported   in  batteaux 
and  carefully  guarded  the  whole  distance.     Joseph  Brant,  the  ce £ 
brated  chieftain,  at  the  head  of  four  or  five  hundred  Indians  was  in 
the  vicm.ty,  and  he  artfully  caused  a  rumor  to  be  circulated  thlt  he 
intended  to  capture  the  batteaux.  in  order  to  diveTa  tenSon  from 

tTa  oZrr'*"'^''--  This  artifice  proved  tL  succLS  the  ml 
tia  of  the  lower  section  of  the  county  were  drawn  off  to  ffuanl  the 
convoy.  Brant  now  made  a  circuit  through  the  woods/and  ?ombir  in 
U^e  rear  of  them,  laid  waste  the  whole  country  around  CanaSie 
ofVe  forrthTr  *^  °^  ^""^  I"  Canajoharie^;  few  is  e^:  warSfy 
Col  CE'ri  i^  .following  account  of  this  incursion  is  given  by 
aptrirC^^^^^^^^ :- ""  '°  """•  ^"'«^  ^^^^^"'  ''''''''  ^-- 

in  upon  the  wttlemenU,  and  laid  the  b«?nVrt„ffi.!'  .'"''?*'  ^I**"^  *"''  '""«■•  »»«>k« 
of  the  inhabitant,  that  we  have  foun^'t'oS  ttw'eef  fiftt  Id'";  """>'"*"  "'T 
women  and  children,  twelve  of  whom  theXve  iTbaok  ^-^i^^  I'^'^'J^J^^^ 
away  with  them  upward,  of  three  hund«rf  h.;!i  f  .!?  7t'^  ''*^"  "'""^  *"«*  *«»• 
th.ee' dwelling-houL.T^rde.';';e"^^^^^^^^  ^nd  «  m.^iv^T'  '  '*•'•'  """'.  ^y 
church,  and  one  irrist-mill.  and  two  «nJ\^Z\t?.^  ""  "^  ^*™"'  **""  ^•'y  •'•«?««* 
burnt  all  the  inhaWtante'  Weain.  a„rmlm?„L  1  k"  T'"!"  ^"^  °"'  "'•  ^hey  hay. 
a  mLerable  condition.    Thev  Cve  nothC^SuT?  hu.bandry,  bo  that  they  are  left  la 

have  growing,  anJThat  ftl^'alnot  Sv^^^^^^^  If'tT '7  '"l^'^'i  ^"*"'  '''"y 
few  to  be  got  here.  *  ''*"*  "^  '•^'"  ^^  «'»"■''  wiUi,  and  very 

we7c'edtd'!;ttiWsch1yr[o\"ut?:?\'T'  ^""r"  ^  •"'"«"  "^  »«>«  county 
the  enemy  int'ended  to  fake  Sem  "on  "hjr  pX    ^ForT  Sch-.'^f  '"t""     "  ""  '^ 
a  man  left  that  wa.  able  to  go.    It  seeml  thT^?       .^°     Schuyler.     There  wa«  Mares 
in  this  quarter ;  one  whoi  dl^^ricJ'aTZ  d'e   ro^eTan'd^e^^^'^^i^^^^^^^ 
^VriSrSruTot  "  '•^"'  '''"'"-'--  ^Cb^.'^h'^ttr^^ou-ro'e; 

thi;  we3?.rabL\:;SanttL":n:m:  r  "'"^  'trr'  ««^--.  "O  •'"e- 
wive.  fort,  for  our  deyncrwhi^wlhT^"'"' ''"'?' **'•'«**'  ^  W"''^  «nd  build  our- 

and  effect.  Lcur"  l^ld  we'got  trtv  to  2.7."!^^^"""''''''^^ ^^  ""^"^  ""^^  •>»<»  «"  "vl 
we  must  turn  out  of  them  •  nU  th^we  h»v.  """**"««  «>'  '^em.    But  that  mu.t  not  be, 

open  the  communicatSHo' Fort  tLyleiKydX^^^^  ""'  »«»«'"'  '« 

were  gone.  But  it  wa.  .tUI  in.i.ted  on.  that  the«  w«  nn^  *  "*  ^"u  '"'PP*'°«'^  ^*'"''  ''• 
that  iu  my  opinion  there  never  ha.  b^en  .uch  a  W.,T  '***¥'"■*''«"  we  were  all  out ; 
•var  com^n'ced,  nor  the  mliat  ihTuL'l,? ^";rr.'?r~i'^  ??  '"'""f^:  -ince  the 
■^  a«  «e«.a.,  a  man  to  the  wood,  to  chop  without  ^Ve."  tar^^.'iTJS' Jl^^^^^^ 


160 


MONTGOMERY   COUNTY. 


*{f«^^ 


ne-«imtf«  «/  Bra.ii£*  lignatnre. 


hMl  Mfflclent  men,  that  be  would  have  been  able  to  have  given  aattafactlon  both  to  the 
pablic  and  inhabitanU  bare." 

The  parents  of  Joseph  Brant,  the  celebrated  Mohawk  chieftain,  re- 
sided at  the  Canajoharie  castle,  the  central  of  the  three  castles  of  the 
Mohawks,  in  their  native  valley.  He  appears  to  have  been  bom  in 
the  year  1742,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  while  his  parents  were  on  a 

hunting  excursion  m  that  part  ot 
the  country.*  In  July,  1761,  he 
was  sent,  by  Sir  William  John- 
son, to  the  **  Moor's  Charity- 
school,"  at  Lebanon,  Connecti- 
cut, established  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Wheelock,  which  was  afterward 
removed  to  Dartmouth,  and  became  the  foundation  of  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege.   The  following  mention  of  him  is  made  in  the  memoirs  of  that 

gentleman : —  ,  ,   i-        /«.  •      •    tvt  -*u 

"Sir William  Johnson,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  m  XNorth 
America,  was  very  friendly  to  the  design  of  Mr.  Wheelock,  and,  at 
his  request,  sent  to  the  school,  at  various  times,  several  boys  ot  the 
Mohawks  to  be  instructed.  One  of  them  was  the  since  celebrated 
Joseph  Brant ;  who,  after  receiving  his  education,  was  particularly 
noticed  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  and  employed  by  him  in  public  busi- 
ness. He  has  been  very  useful  in  advancing  the  civilization  ot  his 
countrymen,  and  for  a  long  time  past  has  been  a  military  officer  of 
extensive  influence  among  the  Indians  in  Upper  Canada." 

In  confirmation  of  these  statements  it  may  be  added,  that  he  trans- 
lated into  the  Mohawk  language  the  gospel  of  St.  Mark,  and  assisted 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Stewart,  the  Episcopal  missionary,  in  translating  a  num- 
ber of  religious  works  into  the  Indian  tongue.  Brant  being  a  neigh- 
bor, and  under  the  influence  of  the  Johnson  family,  he  took  up  arn.3 
against  the  Americans  in  the  revolutionary  contest.  "  Combining  the 
natural  sagacity  of  the  Indian  with  the  skill  and  science  of  the  civil- 
ized  man,  he  was  a  formidable  foe.  He  was  a  dreadful  terror  to  the 
frontiers.  His  passions  were  strong.  In  his  intercourse  he  was  affa- 
ble and  polite,  and  communicated  freely  relative  to  his  conduct.  He 
often  said  that  during  the  war  he  had  killed  but  one  man  in  cold  blood, 
and  that  act  he  ever  after  regretted.  He  said,  he  had  taken  a  man 
prisoner,  and  was  examining  him  ;  the  prisoner  hesitated,  and  as  he 
thought,  equivocated.  Enraged  at  what  he  considered  obstinacy,  he 
struck  him  down.  It  turned  out  that  the  man's  apparent  obstinacy 
arose  from  a  natural  hesitancy  of  speech. 

"  In  person,  Brant  was  about  the  middling  size,  of  a  square,  stout 
build,  fitted  rather  for  enduring  hardships  than  for  quick  movements. 


»  The  Indian  name  of  Brant  was  Thayendanegea,  a  word  signifyiag,  it  m  said,  two- 
stick»'of.uiood.bound.together,  denoting  strength.  The  life  of  Brant,  in  two  octavo  vol- 
umes, has  been  recently  written  by  the  late  Wiliiam  L.  Stone,  Esq.,  editor  of  the  Com- 
mercial Advertiser,  New  York.    This  valuable  and  highly  interestmg  work  m  one  of  great 

.  1    V -    r..ii    u:.u..«.  nf  *:.-  KamIai*  ufnra  nf  thA   rAvnlut.ion.   ami  mucn 

researcn,  sna  ciuuraccB  a  mtt  nmvs;  i"  "—  . — —  --  —  — , 

other  matter  connected  with  Indian  history. 


MONTGOMERY  COUNTY. 


151 


ion  both  to  the 


His  complexion  was  lighter  than  that  of  most  of  the  Indians,  which 
resulted,  perhaos,  from  his  less  exposed  manner  of  living.  This  cir- 
cumstance, probably,  gave  rise  to  a  statement,  which  has  been  often 
repeated,  that  he  was  of  mixed  origin.  He  was  married  in  the  winter 
of  1779  to  a  daughter  of  Col.  Croghan  by  an  Indian  woman.  The 
circumstances  of  his  marriage  are  somewhat  singular.  He  was  pres- 
ent at  the  wedding  of  Miss  Moore  from  Cherry  Valley,  who  had  been 
carried  away  a  pnsoner,  and  who  married  an  officer  of  the  garrison  at 
t  on  Niagara. 

"Brant  had  lived  with  his  wife  for  some  time  previous,  according  to 
the  Indian  custom,  without  marriage  ;  but  now  insisted  that  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  should  be  performed.  This  was  accordingly  (Jone  by 
Col.  Butler,  who  was  still  considered  a  magistrate.  After  the  war 
he  removed,  with  his  nation,  to  Canada.  There  he  was  employed  in 
transacting  iiaportant  business  for  his  tribe.  He  went  out  to  England 
atter  the  war,  and  was  honorably  received  there.  He  died  about  ten 
or  htteen  years  since,  at  Brantford,  Haldimin  county.  Upper  Canada, 
where  his  family  now  reside.  One  of  his  sons,  a  very  intelligent  man 
has  been  returned  to  the  Colonial  Assembly." 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  taking  of  the  three  Mohawk  cas- 
tles which  were  situated  in  this  vicinity,  by  the  French  and  Indians, 
n  the  early  settlement  of  the  country.   It  is  drawn  from  Colden's  His- 
tory of  the  Six  Nations. 

In  January,  1692-3,  a  large  body  of  French  and  Indians,  amount- 
ing to  SIX  or  seven  hundred,  started  on  an  expedition  from  Canada,  for 
the  purpose  of  punishing  the  Five  Nations,  who  had  the  previous  sum- 
mer carried  the  war  into  Canada,  and  in  small  parties  had  ravaged 
the  whole  country.  Count  de  Frontenac  chose  the  winter  sealon 
or  this  incursion,  when  the  enemy  could  not,  without  great  hardship, 
keep  scouts  abroad  to  discover  them,  or  their  allies,  the  English,  give 

On  the  15th  of  January,  they  set  out  from  la  Prairie  de  Magda- 
leme,  and  endured  innumerable  hardships.  The  ground  was  at  that 
time  covered  with  a  deep  snow,  and  the  foremost,  marching  on  snow- 
shoes,  beat  a  track  for  those  which  followed.  At  night  the  army  was 
accustomed  to  divide  itself  into  smaU  groups,  and  lach  party  to  dig 

l.rA  1  .  L'"r'  *^T"'S  "P  ^^^  '"°^  ^"  ^'-''""d,  but  highest  to- 
wards  that  S^de  from  whence  the  wind  blew.  The  ground  was  then 
covered  with  the  small  branches  of  fir-trees,  and  eal  man,  wrapped 
n  his  cloak,  with  his  feet  pointed  towards  a  fire  in  the  centre,  would 
thus  pass  the  night. 

fi  Jf2/T!?  \  Schenectady  on  the  8th  of  February.    The  two 
first  forts  of  the  Mohawks  being  m  the  neighborhood  of  the  Enclish 

TT?u  r'?  T  ^^'^u'^'  ""'^  ^"'^^  th^'-*^^"^^  «a«"y  taken.^  At 
innJr  Jj^hawk  fort,  which  was  strongly  garrisoned,  tlley  met  with 
considerable  resistance,  and  the  French  lost  thirty  men  before  the  In- 
dians submitted.  The  Indians  at  Schenectady  Having  obtained  infor- 
-,-i.„v..--.  -^i  tiicii  i;a3uc5.  scni  lo  AiDany  ior  assistance 


152 


nONTOOMSRT   COUNTY. 


to  pursue  the  enemy.  Col.  Peter  Schuyler,  with  a  body  <rf  milititt, 
regulars,  and  Indians,  pursued  the  enemy  on  their  retreat,  and  had  a 
severe  skirmish  with  them.  On  the  20th,  Col.  Schuyler  was  obliged 
to  give  up  the  pursuit,  the  weather  being  very  cold,  and  provisions 
scarce.  Schuyler  lost  only  8  men  killed  and  14  wounded.  The 
French  lost  69  men  in  killed  and  wounded,  besides  several  by  desertion. 

The  French  arrived  at  their  settlements  in  a  state  of  starvation, 
having  been  obliged  to  eat  their  shoes  on  their  march. 

The  village  of  Fort  Plain  is  situated  on  the  Mohawk  river  and  Erie 
canal,  15  miles  from  Fonda,  12  miles  from  Cherry  Valley,  22  from 
Cooperstown,  and  60  from  Albany :  it  consists  of  about  80  houses,  2 
churche;s,  a  banking  house,  printing  office,  and  a  number  of  millB. 


!    J 


I  ii 


Ancient  Blockhouse,  Fort  Plain. 

^'he  above  is  said  to  be  a  correct  representation  of  Fort  Plain,  from 
which  the  village  derives  its  name. 

••  The  fort  was  situated  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  about  half  a  mile  northwest  of  the  vil- 
lage, so  as  to  command  a  full  view  of  the  valley,  and  the  rise  of  the  ground,  for  several 
miles  in  any  direction ;  and  hence  it  doubtless  derived  its  name,  because  its  beautiful  loca- 
tion commanded  a  '  plain'  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  It  was  erected  Ly  the  gov- 
ernment, as  a  fortress,  and  plape  of  retreat  and  safety  for  the  inhabitants  and  ftiniilie«  ii: 
case  of  incursions  from  the  Indians,  who  were  then,  and,  indeed,  more  or  less  during  the 
whole  revolutionary  war,  infesting  the  settlements  of  this  whole  region.  Its  form  was  an 
octagon,  having  port-holes  for  heavy  ordnance  and  muskets  on  every  side.  It  contained 
three  stories  or  apartments.  The  tirst  story  was  thirty  feet  in  diameter ;  the  second,  forty 
feet ;  the  third,  fifty  feet ;  the  last  two  stories  projecting  five  feet,  as  represented  by  the 
drawing  aforesaid.  It  was  constructed  throughout  of  hewn  timber  about  fifteen  inches 
square ;  and,  besides  the  port-holes  aforesaid,  the  second  and  third  stories  had  perpendicu- 
lar port-holes  through  those  parts  that  projected,  so  as  to  afford  the  regulars  and  militia,  or 
settlers  garrisoned  in  the  fort,  annoying  facilities  of  defence  for  themselves,  wives,  and 
children,  in  case  of  close  assault  from  the  relentless  savage.  Whenever  scouts  came  in 
with  tidings  that  a  hostile  party  was  approaching,  a  cannon  was  fiiod  from  the  fort  as  a 
signal  to  ilee  to  it  for  safety. 

"  In  the  early  part  of  the  war  there  was  built,  oy  the  inhabitants  probably,  at  or  near 
the  site  of  the  one  above  described,  a  fortification,  of  materials  and  construction  that  ill  com- 
ported with  the  use  and  purposes  for  which  it  was  intended.  This  induced  government  to 
erect  another,  (Fort  Plain,)  under  the  sni^rintendence  of  »•;  experienced  French  engineer. 
As  a  piece  of  architecture,  it  was  well  wrought  and  neatly  finished,  and  surpassed  all  the 
forts  in  that  region.  After  the  termination  of  the  revolutionary  war,  F->rt  Plain  was  used 
for  Bome  years  as  a  drposilc  of  military  stores,  under  the  direction  of  Captain  B.  Hudson 
Those  stores  were  finally  ordered  by  the  United  State*  government  to  be  rertiovod  to  Al- 


MONTOOMBEY  COUNTY. 


m 


rt  Plain,  from 


.ufficientevidLeofaUficatlonlna^^^^^^^ 

Hendrick,  a  celebrated  Indian  chieftain,  lived  in  this  town      H«  .-. 
sometimes  called  old  King  Hendrick,  and  the  great  HendiTck 

the  abongmal  inhabitanto  of  the  United  State*  of  whom  «nv  fcn„„iJi     u'       "*°«"»«  «• 

side  by  side  with  Sir  William  John2,n     T^™     k    . . U    "^ "  ?^'''»»'^k  warrior,  and  fought 
mained  faithfulto  11  al/iare"  ^*^°"«^*'  *"  "'"  '"'"^^  "^  "»«  *'"»«''»  he  "- 

Fultonville,  on  the  canal,  1  mile  S.  from  Fonda,  57  miles  from  Al 
bany,  ,s  a  village  of  about  60  dwellings.  St.  JohnsVflie,  77  miles  from 
Albany,  on  the  line  of  the  railroadfhas  about  40  dwdinrVto^ 
Arabia  a  snjall  village  3  miles  N.  of  Canajoharie,  is  theXe  where 
pZ  men  SirrohnTh'  '"""«  ^'"  revolutionary  w:r,'ca?red  Fort 
hawk'  in  ]  7fiS  ti^-  f  ?  ^^"'°"  ^^'  "*^^^«^"J?  the  4lley  of  the  Mo- 
hawk,  in  1780.  this  fort  was  m  command  of  Col.  Brown  with  a  aZ 
nson  of  one  hundred  .and  thirty  men.     Gen.  Van  SsTe  aer  Shn 

he"rnde"fotttack'r?  ^p'^  '''''''  .'^^^"«  -cdv\"d  inW  o^  7ha 
ders  to  Col  Rrnwn^       '  ^'"'  ^".'''f  ^^^h  °f  ^^t"  despatched  or- 

fpon  hS  efr  Tri°  T""^  °"'  '"^•'^'"''  ^'«  ^^^*»*^«'  ^hile  he  feU 
upon  his  rear.  Col.  Brown  according  y  sallied  forth  and  irav«  Sfr 
John  battle  near  the  site  of  a  former  worJ,  called  Fort  Kevser  Van 

anS  s;:t^r^riErs^^ 

states  that  Col.  Brown  detected,  or  be^e^le  delect jd  «  H«  •  '.u'  •"'  ^''*  "^  Brant, 

nold  to  play  the  traitor  when  the  imela„  ar^  wl: V  Sor  f  bv"aJ'  T^  °//^'"'-  ^'l 
with  the  American  flotilla  ard  sell  out  to  Sir  Guv  C^\mL  n-^  f."  °'^*'"P' '"  ™"  "^ 
while  Arnold  and  many  oth  leers  J«r«n„„^^  /•  aTu  ^"""^^  "'*  "''n'^'  "^  1776-7, 
him  and  Col.  Brow^  Vhe  .  'tS  Sshed^  a' h!:!;','/  ^'^''7'  '^  ^"^''""y  "r"*"  between 
concluded  with  these  remarkable^Si!"  Jtf„.^'; t '^71^1^^^^^^^  Arnold,  and 

of  It  he  woul,(  sacrifice  At*  countrv  "  This  n^hlllV  f  P"^'  ""'^  '"  «'"  """"^A 
the  office,^.  Arnold  was  great"v  e7cit,  J  he  ^SZ^  ^■'^'"'f ''"'''' "  ««""'»»'<"»  "^ong 
to  Col  Brown,  calling  him^^slS/aihff^^^^^^^^^  "''"''  "P'^he^ 

meet  him.    This  oominir  to  the  ears  nffh«  1.7.1!  i!  ^  .    """  wherever  he  should 

nold.  where  a  compan^of  officer  were  leS^^^  ^L^^'.'^^l/''  '^^  ^^^  P'"''  "^  Ar- 
and  looked  him  in  the  eye.    aE  pai^oS  llfnt  '^'^''t^^'y  "JP  *"  ^Z'"'''^' ''«  '♦"PPed. 

0  put  your  threat  into  execution .'"  Anothw  brfef  ™  .«^  "^  2 ^'7  ^""f  ""  "PPortunitu 
lips,  firown  then  said  to  him-"  «,V  vZarl  nfJT  '/""f  „.  ^,™"'**  "P'"""!  "»'  hi 
silr  t.  Col,  Brown,  after  aSodzin^to  tU  ™„..f  ^  scoundrel .'"  Arnold  still  remained 
room.  Arnold  appears  to  COa„..te»^''"''''''^"^  "'  *""  intrusion,  left  the 
be  aooounled  for  on  the  sup^iSon  ?hat  he  feL'd?"'  ""  'h..  occasion,  which  can  only 
Col.  Browfl.  A  monument T  the  memo^  of  r«f  B  '""'"'^  '"^"^  "»  ""e  charge,  of 
hi.  «)n,  al  Stone  Arabir  ^  °^  ^°'-  ^"^°  •>"  '««'«»'y  been  erected  by 

20 


184 


NEW  YORK  COUNTY. 


1 


NEW  YORK  COUNTY. 

The  county  and  city  of  New  York  are  of  the  same  extent,  com- 
prising the  whole  of  New  York,  or  Manhattan  Island,  about  14^  miles 
long,  varying  from  half  a  mile  to  two  miles  in  width  ;  area  21  f  square 
miles,  or  13,920  acres.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  Haer- 
lem  and  East  rivers,  south  and  west  by  the  Hudson,  or  by  New  York 
bay  and  the  state  of  New  Jersey.  The  legal  subdivisions  of  the  county 
and  city  are  the  wards,  19  in  number,  of  various  extent,  according  to 
local  convenience.  Agreeably  to  the  charter  of  New  York,  its  jurisdic- 
tion extends  to  the  lands  undfer  the  adjoining  waters  as  far  as  to  low- 
water  mark  on  the  opposite  sides.  The  compact  part  of  the  city  is  at 
the  southern  part  of  the  island,  and  covers  about  one-sixth  part  of  its 
surface.  Its  latitude  and  longitude,  reckoned  from  the  City  Hall,  were 
determined  in  1817,  by  order  of  the  corporation,  as  follows  :  N.  lat. 
40°  42'  43"  ;  W.  long,  from  Greenwich,  England,  73°  59'  46",  and  E. 
long,  from  the  city  of  Washington  3°  1'  13". 

"  The  nuraber  of  buildings  in  the  compact  part  of  the  city  of  New  York  is  33,116  ;  of 
which  thei'v  are  used  as  breweries,  distilleries,  tanneries,  and  the  like,  46;  as  dwellings 
houses  eiolutively,  16,458;  as  dwellings  with  shops,  6,614;  as  stores  and  offices  exclu" 
sively,  3,855 ;  as  taverns  and  private  boarding-houses,  736 ;  as  baths,  9 ;  as  factories,  with 
engines  equal  to  1100  horse-power,  74;  as  large  factories,  with  labor-saving  power,  172; 
as  private  stables,  2,603  ;  as  livery  stables,  137  ;  as  dairy  stables,  57  ;  miscellaneous,  1,355. 

"  The  valuation  of  real  estate  in  the  city,  as  corrected  by  the  board  of  supervisors  in 
1840,  is  $187,222,714;  and  of  personal  estate,  $65,013,801.'   Aggregate,  $252,235,515. 

"  Brom  1810  to  184i,  the  corporation  has  expended  for  opening,  widening,  and  improv- 
ing streets,  &c.,  $6,275,317. 

"  The  total  amount  derived  from  the  city,  by  the  state,  from  auction  duties,  from  1816 
to  1840,  inclusive,  is  $4,249,527. 

"  The  receipts  into  the  general  treasury  during  the  year  1840,  from  the  ordinary  reve- 
nues of  the  city,  from  the  negotiation  of  its  stocks,  and  from  the  management  of  its  '  trust 
accounts,'  including  the  cash  on  hand  at  the  commencement  of  the  year,  amounted  to 
$6,004,610  12. 

"  The  amount  of  warrants  drawn  upon  the  Treasurer,  for  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the 
city  government,  the  payment  of  its  pre-existing  debts,  for  its  disbursements  on  the  public 
works,  and  on  its  '  trust  accounts,'  including  the  warrants  outstanding  at  the  commen  - 
ment  of  the  year,  amounted  to  $6,007,260*4 ;  from  which  is  to  be  deducted  the  warra.-U 
outstanding  and  unclaimed  at  the  close  of  the  year,  amo>mting  to  $176,829  50.  The  Je- 
suit showing  the  actual  amount  paid  by  the  Treasurer,  during  the  year,  to  be  $5,830,431 
04;  and  the  cash  balance  in  the  treasury  January  Ist,  1841,  to  be  $174,179  08." 

Population  of  the  teveral  Wards  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1845  and  1850. 


1850. 

1845. 

1850. 

1845. 

Ist  ward, 

19,755 

124230 

11th  ward. 

43,772 

27,259 

2d  ward. 

6.616 

6.969 

12th  ward, 

10,453 

13,378 

3d  ward. 

10356 

12,900 

13th  ward, 

28,244 

22,411 

4th  ward, 

23,250 

21,000 

14th  ward, 

25,206 

21,103 

5th  ward. 

22,691 

20,263 

15th  ward, 

22,564 

19,432 

6ih  ward. 

24,699 

19,343 

16th  ward, 

52,887 

40,337 

7th  ward, 

32.697 

25,502 

17th  ward, 

43,780 

27,117 

8th  ward, 

34.113 

36,846 

18th  ward, 

41,357 

9th  ward. 

40,675 

30,907 
30  993 

19th  ward, 

18,463 
515,394 

lOtb  ward, 

371,102 

'i 


«>W   TOBK   COUNTY. 


165 


extent,  com- 
)ut  14^  miles 
a  21 1  square 
jast  by  Haer- 
ly  New  York 
of  the  county 

according  to 
L,  its  jurisdic- 
far  as  to  low- 
'  the  city  is  at 
thjpart  of  its 
ty  Hall,  were 
lows :  N.  lat. 
)'  46",  and  E. 


>rk  is  33,116 ;  of 
46 ;  as  dwelling 

md  offices  exclu- 

as  factories,  with 

ving  power,  172; 

:ellaneou8,  1,355. 
of  fiupervisors  in 

e,  $252,235,515. 

ling,  and  improv- 

iuties,  from  1816 

he  ordinary  reve- 
iment  of  its  '  trust 
ear,  amounted  to 

y  expenses  of  the 
;nts  on  the  public 
t  the  commen  - 
3ted  the  warra.>U 
m  50.  There- 
to be  $5,830,431 
1,179  08." 


;  and  1850. 


1845. 
27,259 
13.378 
22,411 
21,103 
19.432 
40^37 
87,117 


371,102 


The  bay  of  New  York  spreads  to  the  southward,  and  is  about  8 
miles  long,  and  from  U  to  6i  broad.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  harbors 
in  the  world,  generally  open  for  vessels  at  all  seasons  of  the  year 
but  IS,  at  rare  mtervals,  obstructed  for  a  few  days  in  very  severe 
winters  by  ice.  The  currents  in  the  bay  are  rapid  and  strong,  cir- 
cumstances that  -re  of  great  importance  in  keeping  the  port  of  New 
^ork  open,  while  others  further  to  the  south  are  obstructed  by  frost. 
Ihe  usual  tides  at  New  York  are  about  six  feet,  and  the  depth  of 
water  sufficient  for  the  largest  ships.  The  bay  contains  Governor's, 
Bedlows,  and  Ellis'  islands,  upon  which  are  strong  fortifications 
guarding  the  approach  to  the  city.  There  are  also  fortifications  on 
L,ong  and  fcjtaten  islands,  commanding  the  narrows. 


Stadt  Huys,  built  1642 — razed  1700. 

«niHf  nf  Thiy  11"'''!.'  '*'  °"f  "u  ^'^^^  *^^  colonizing  and  commercial 
spirit  of  the  Hollanders,  and  the  general  spirit  of  adventure  which 
prevailed  among  the  maritime  nations  of  Europe  after  the  di3cove>/ 
11  tK'^S'*^"'  continent  by  Columbus.  The  Dutch  immediateli 
thi  L  discovery  of  Hudson  m  1609,  began  to  avail  themselves  oi 
the  advantages  which  his  discoveries  presented  to  their  view  In 
1614  or  615,  a  Hnd  of  fort  and  tradiig-house  was  erected  on  the 
southwest  pomt  of  Manhattan  or  New  York  Island,  which  was  named 
New  Amsterdam.  In  1614  an  expedition  from  South  Virginia,  unTer 
Capt.  Argal,  was  sent  out  by  Sir  i'homas  Dale,  and  took  posCion 

SdP  nTth  7'f ''"S'-.  ^^  '^^'  ''"^^  '^''^  ^^^«  ^'^'y  f<^^^  houses  ol 
side  of  the  fort.    But  an  arrangement  ^r     .oon  after  made  with  the 

English  government,  by  which  the  Dutch  remained  in  possession  of 

M^l^^.  ^'^'"^'  ^'  '^^  *'"  *^^^^  "^  '^'  neighboring'  cortry  for 

The  above  is  a  r3mr?,entation  oi' the  ancient  "  Stadt  Huys,"  or 
City  Hall,  which  was  kuit  early  in  the  Dutch  dynasty,  in  1642  It 
was  buUt  of  stone  at  the  head  of  Coenties  slip,  fac  ng  Pearl-street 
About  the  year  1700,  it  became  so  weakened  and'  mpafrld,  that  was 
so  d.  and  a  new  one  erected  by  the  head  of  Broad-street,  which  wa! 
afterward  the  Congress  Hall,  on  the  corner  of  Walj-strppt 


186  NEW   TOBK   COUNTY. 

The  city  was  laid  out  in  streets,  some  of  them  crooked  enough,  in 
1666.  It  then  contained  by  enumeration  •  120  houses,  with  extensive 
garden  lots,'  and  1000  inhabitants.  In  1677  another  estimate  of  the 
city  was  made,  and  ascertained  to  contain-'j  868  houses.  In  the 
year  1674,  an  assessment  of  '  the  most  weaUhy  inhabitants'  havinff 
Deen  made,  it  was  found  that  the  sum  total  of  134  estates  amounted 
to  £05,000. 


Nieuw  Amsterdam,  in  1659. 

[A,  Qiefbrt.  B,  t)M  church.  C,  the  wind-mtll.  D,  thn  flag,  which  is  holMed  when  veneli  arriv?  In  port 
P,  theprlnn.    F,  the  house  of  the  general.    U,  tiie  place  of  execution.    H,  the  place  of  expoiu  or  pllicry,] 

During  the  military  rule  of  Governor  Colve,  who  held  the  city  for 
one  year  for  the  states  of  Holland,  after  its  re-capture  from  the  British, 
every  thing  partook  of  a  military  character,  and  the  laws  still  in 
preservation  at  Albany  show  the  energy  of  a  rigorous  discipline. 
Then  the  Dutch  mayor,  at  the  head  of  the  city  militia,  held  his  daily 
parades  before  the  City  Hall,  (Stadt  Huys,)  then  at  Coenties  slip ;  and 
every  evening  at  sunset,  he  received  from  the  principal  guard  of  the 
fort,  called  the  hoofd-wagt,  the  keys  of  the  city,  and  thereupon  pro- 
ceeded with  a  guard  of  six  to  lock  the  city  gates ;  then  to  place  a 
Burger-wagt — a  citizen-guard — as  night-watches  at  assigned  places. 
The  same  mayors  also  went  the  rounds  at  sunrise  to  open  the  gates, 
and  to  restore  the  keys  to  the  officer  of  the  fort.  All  this  was  surely 
a  toilsome  service  for  the  domestic  habits  of  the  jwaceful  citizens  of 
that  day,  and  must  have  presented  an  irksome  honor  to  any  mayor 
who  loved  his  comfort  and  repose. 

"  It  may  amuse  some  of  the  present  generation,  so  little  used  to  Dutch  names,  to  learn 
■ome  of  the  titles  once  so  familiar  in  New  York,  and  now  so  little  understood.  Such  as — 
D*  Hear  Officier,  or  Haofd.Schout — High-Sheriff.  De  Fitcael,  or  Procvreur  Gen. — Attor 
ney  General.  Wees-Me'-stert — Guardians  of  orphans.  Soy-Meeatera — Regulators  of 
fences.  Groot  Burgerrtckt  and  Klein  Burgerrecht — The  great  and  small  citizenship, 
T/hich  then  marked  the  two  orders  of  society.  Eyck-Meeater — The  Weigh  Master.  The 
Sehout,  (the  SheriiT.)  BourgemKutera  and  Schepi.na  then  ruled  the  city  '  as  in  all  cities  of 
the  Fatherland.'  Othaim  Sehryter — Recorder  of  Mcrets." — Wataon'a  Oldan  Tinua, 
j,Tisv>  £srs. 


id  enough,  in 
ith  extensive 
imate  of  the 
jses.  In  the 
tunts'  havine 
es  amounted 


eneli  arrive  In  port 
expow  or  piliory,] 

1  the  city  for 
Tti  the  British, 
laws  still  in 
as  discipline, 
leld  his  daily 
:ies  slip ;  and 
guard  of  the 
ereupon  pro- 
3n  to  place  a 
igned  places, 
en  the  gates, 
s  was  surely 
j1  citizens  of 
0  any  mayor 


t  names,  to  learn 
ood.  Such  as — 
eur  Gen. — Attor 
—Regulators  of 
mall  citizenship, 
[h  Master.  The 
u  in  all  cities  of 
t  Olden   Timet, 


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i 
c 


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.if  IM  ciitutoft  anii'UUttitl 


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157 


the 


„.    preceding  cut  shows  the  principal  bu  IdinM  standinffon  th( 
present  site  ot  the  cty  of  New  York  In  1659.    ^'hefollSde- 

Londorin'l6"7f  tl?  '''^"r  '""'*^  ^^''  "^y  ^n^'-^vings,  publisiyin 
mum  rL?t  S.^T  •"  T"'^  T*^^"  *  ^'^^  ''^'  Novum  Amsteroda. 
cuUs  copied.        ^  ^  ^  engraving  frum  which  the  annexed 

t^xs^^HHS?^^^-^^^^   -wis 

Water  a  wavTfurni,SH  «,?h  /  Pr**'  '^?"  accommodated  with  a  spring  of  Fresh 

to  co^ict  him  through  •  vetfo  th?«fwt       "'"""«'  ■'^*"'i'f. '  ""'^  '"  *«''  '""^  «'""«  Charon 

co^nsL," moTof  Eng Lh  and  DuteL  '^nS^'h"^  P'o«Pect  to  the  Spectators.     The  inhabitan* 
Otter  and  Rackoon  Skins  wi^^^h'    p   ^^  *  considerable  trade  with  Indians  for  BeaVer, 

wh  ch  thev  buv  at  an  Pn«in  Rn.-. .  „„j  u    v""®r»  """  *>*•"  "» 'he  Summer  by  the  Indiana, 

mmmmmMB 

Ariel's '^"^r^?u^n  ^o?:*  continued  to  bear  the  name  of  Nieuw 
Amsterdam,  by  the  Dutch,  down  to  the  time  of  the  surrender  bv 
Governor  Stuyvesant  to  the  EngHsh,  in  1664.  Then  for  ten  years 
under  he  rule  of  Cols.  Nicolls  and  Lovelace,  acting  for  the  DuL  of 
York,  ,t  was  called  New  York ;  but  in  Augus't,  16?f,  a  Dutch  fleet.t 
SrulStT^'S^^'Ar  f''"  '^'  ^^'^'^'  and  while  exerSng 
peaoe  m  1674,  they  called  the  place  New  Orange,  in  comnlimerit  to 
the  prmce  of  Orange,  and  the  fo'rt  they  called  T^^^llem  HenS 
iiic  cuy  o8..,s  .-.oiuicu  iu  uiv  anusa  oy  ine  treaty,  was  re-deliv- 


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NBW   YORK  OOUNTT. 


ered  to  the  British  in  October,  1674.  The  fort  then  took  the  name 
of  Fort  James,  being  built  of  quadrangular  form,  having  four  bastions, 
two  gates,  and  42  cannon.  The  city  again  took  the  name  of  New 
York,  once  and  forever. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  a  pamphlet  publication  by  J.  W. 
Moulton,  Esq.,  entitled  "  View  of  the  city  of  New  Orange  (now  New 
York)  as  it  was  in  the  year  1673." 

"  Fart  Amtttrdam,  rmoamt  Jamet-Fort  by  de  Engeltehe.  Fort  Amsterdam,  otherwise 
called  James-Fort  by  the  English.  The  name  ofBciJiy  given  to  the  fort  in  1673,  was  '  fort 
Willem  Hendrick.'  It  was  first  erected  and  finished  in  1635,  by  Gov  Van  Twiiler,  neg. 
lected  by  Governor  IQefi;,  repaired  and  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  by  Governor  Stuyre. 
■ant,  and  demolished,  and  the  ground  levelled  in  1790  and  '91.  It  was  situated  directly 
■outh  of  the  Bowling  green,  on  high  ground,  was  in  shape  of  a  regular  square,  with  four 
bastions,  had  two  gates,  and  mounted  forty-two  cannon. 

"  Oereformeerde  Kerek.  The  reformed  Dutch  church  was  erected  within  the  fort,  by 
Governor  ICefi,  in  1643.  It  was  of  stone,  and  covered  with  oak  shingles,  which  exposed 
to  the  weather,  soon  resembled  slate.  The  motives  that  induced  Governor  Kieft  to  become 
the  founder  of  the  first  church  in  this  city,  may  be  best  related  in  the  words  of  captain  Da. 
vid  Pietersz  de  Vriez  *  artillery  meester  van  't  noorder  Quartier,*  who  performed  tliree  voy. 
ages  to  New  Netherlands,  associated  with  Killiaen  Van  Rensalaer  and  others,  in  1630,  to 
colonize  this  region,  attempted  a  colony  at  the  Hore.Kill  on  the  Delaware,  in  the  time  of 
Van  Twiiler,  and  another  on  *  Staaten  Eylandi,'  which  he  sustained  till  the  troubles  with 
the  Indians  in  the  latter  time  of  Kieft  drove  him  to  abandon  the  country.  De  Vriei  ob. 
serves :  *  As  I  was  every  day  with  Commander  Kieft,  dining  generally  at  bis  house  when  I 
happened  to  be  at  the  fort,  he  told  me  one  day  that  he  had  now  made  a  fine  tavern,  buUt 
wtik  tUme,  for  the  English,  by  whom,  as  they  passed  continually  with  their  vesseb  from 
New  England  to  Virginia,  he  had  suffered  much,  and  v.ho  now  might  take  lodgings  there. 
I  told  him  this  was  very  good  for  travellers,  but  that  we  wanted  very  badly  for  our  people 
•  church.  It  was  a  shame  that  when  the  English  passed,  they  should  see  nothing  but  a 
•Men  ham,  in  which  we  performed  our  worship ;  on  the  contruy,  the  first  thing  that  they 
in  New  England  did,  when  they  had  built  fine  dwellings,  wss  to  erect  a  fine  church :  we 
ou|^t  to  do  ^e  same,  it  being  supposed  that  the  West  IncUa  Company  were  very  zealous  in 
Iffotacting  the  Refonned  church  (Calvinist)  against  the  Spanish  tyranny,  that  we  had  good 
materials  for  it,  fine  oak  wood,  ^e  building  stone,  good  lime  made  of  oyster  shells,  being 
better  than  our  lime  in  Holland.  Kieft  asked  me  dien  who  would  like  to  attend  to  this 
buHding  7  I  replied  the  lovers  of  the  reformed  religion,  as  certainly  some  of  them  could  be 
found.  He  told  me  that  he  supposed  I  myself  wss  one  of  them,  as  I  made  the  proposition, 
and  he  supposed  I  would  contriliute  a  hundred  guilders !  I  repUed  that  I  agreed  to  do  so, 
and  that  as  he  was  Governor,  he  should  be  the  first.  We  then  elected  Jochem  Pietersz 
Kuyter,  who  having  a  set  of  good  hands,  would  soon  procure  good  timber,  he  being  also  a 
devout  Calvinist.  We  elected  also  Jan  Claesz  Damen,  because  he  lived  near  the  fort,  and 
thus  we  four  "  Kerk  meesteis"  formed  the  first  consistory  to  superintend  the  building  of  the 
church.  The  governor  should  fiimish  a  few  thousand  guilders  of  the  company's  money, 
and  would  try  to  raise  the  remainder  by  subscription.  The  church  should  be  built  in  the 
fort,  where  it  would  be  free  from  the  depredations  of  the  Indians.  The  building  was  soon 
■tarted  of  stone,  and  was  covered  by  English  carpenters  with  slate,  split  of  oakwood,'  (that 
is,  with  oak  shingles,  which  by  ram  and  wind  soon  became  blue,  and  resembled  slate.) 

"  "The  contract  for  the  erection  of  this  church  is  upon  record.  It  was  made  in  May, 
1643,  before  the  secretary  of  the  New  Netherlands,  betweeq  'William  Kiefi,  church- 
warden, at  the  request  of  his  brethren,  the  church-wardens  of  the  church  in  New  Nether, 
land,  kA  John  Ogden  of  Stai^rd,  and  Richard  Ogden,  who  contracted  to  build  the  church 
of  rock-stone,  73  feet  long,  53  broad,  and  16  feet  high  above  the  soil,  for  3,500  guilders 
(J6416  13  4)  "  in  beaver,  cash  or  merchandize,  to  wit,  if  the  church-wardens  are  satis, 
fied  with  the  work,  so  that,  in  their  judgment,  the  3,500  guilders  shall  have  hien  earned— 
then  said  church-wardens  will  reward  them  with  one  hundred  guilders  (X16 13  4)  more," 
in  the  mean  time  assist  them  whenever  it  is  in  their  power,  and  allow  them  the  use,  for  a 
month  or  six  weeks,  of  the  Company's  boat,  to  ftcilitate  the  carrying  of  the  stone  thither.' 

"  The  church  vas  not  completely  finished  until  the  first  year  of  Governor  Stuyvesant'a 
administration.  In  July,  1647,  he  and  two  others  were  appointed  kerk-meesters,  (church- 
wardens,) to  superintend  the  work,  and  complete  it  the  ensuing  winter. 

*'  The  town  bell  was  removed  to  this  church.    Besides  the  ofllce  of  calling  the  deveut  to 


NRw  YORK  oovirrr. 


159 


A«mi?^'  '*'*  '?°*^^?i''*"  "uininoned  into  court  by  the  ringine  oftha  W2  t«  .l«&«-i 

ciently  the  court  measenMr^  In  Ififii  -^T^  ?C'^  **"-  ^''•'  beU-ringer  wu  an. 
-i-t  ufburyiilrdKd  atSni't?lo«!lt Sr'"""""  "^'"^  **"'**^  he  wa.  to  « «. 

JoSpsS"  itTr^^^i^t^i^wlgtr ^'  ^»'  "^'  ^  •  ^—  - 

ConJ;„dTXCy^;Tw:tSLr^  f^r*^' !?  '"^^r^  ^  '■»  Sac^d  Majesty 
Allyance  aid  Co^apSnl^^th  eich^^er  J  SSl  f"'?/**';"  •>"'"  intolat^ct 
tiation.  Trade  and  Civill  CnZ^^       j  ?       '       "*«WMe  for  the  advancement  of  Neeo. 

-ffayrei.  thafa  mt«eS  r  oX'^^C^^^^^  J"^"*?-"  and  DiapatcK 

monrtty,  and  thence  to  travaiirto  B^«n  E^ift       '°'^u^".  **™*^'*yof  N^^^ 
tume  4^ne  to  thb  C^?y  •  S  J  W^l£^  '"^"  *•'  "*"»*  »»••  "hall  re- 

ThatoTthefi«tdayrfj;nuiTne«r?67l?S«™^''  ""*'"''  *?  "^  P*""""  "oncemed. 
Journey  to  Boston :  If  ^mTSfow  have  w^fette^^^^^^  ■**"  J"*'''"*  «°  »^ 

veyed  to  Hartfoid,  ConnecS  Baton  o^Lv^th-^  Tf"- P**'^^^^  «°°^  *»  •»«  on. 

up.    Dated  at  &ew  Yo£  fhTlWlyTS^ceSlWa^"'  '*''"  ''''  ^'^«  »"•  -»<» 

yel?bS7e^Srder?d°rg:;eS^^^^^  tt"?  7^  »"";!?.  "'-'^•'«' 

«tood  on  the  west  side  of  the  preMnt^M^  Jh»n!i^  ♦  /' '™°"'.''  *"  P"''"*'  wharf  and 
of  the  present  Water-streer  Whitehall^street.  nearly  opposite  the  commencement 

fte"y?a?  'iS  He«  ^^t t/d'".^5'  T."  J"?'  ''^.*«  hu^omastem „f  the  city  .bout 
first  of  eight  ;tive«  plrk^t  Th«  wlf  °''*^*'**'  '"'^  "  ^'"^■««  «*"«y  ^^  exacted  at 
yachts,  in^whichld^^gir  Ae  bSSu^  TtlSon^H"^'*  to  accommodate  vessetoand 
floating  ice;  for  wUch  la^e  v^^fe  wid^^ll"!.!  ^"  ""«'**.'"»  "«""««*  •«^'>«  »he 
to  the  city,  to  keep  it  in  Mder '  Thi^h.^nJ  ?  t^  ^''^"'  ""''  '™'^*"  «  proportion, 
Whitoha^slip  ha^g  rcfbeen  foi"tJ.1h?rW^'  ""  "''''  "  P^  "^  WhiteKi^t; 

vesaSrrSfe-sta^dir^&Ji^SeUt^^^^ 

those  of  the  city  of  Amsterdam.    To  Ak^H.^  JS^  balance-house,  was  according  to 

to  pay  the  eycl„ee,ter  for  m^kii^Sb  ,SS  «d  S!^^,!::!"'  "^V  *°  cont^^ 
brought  in  bulk  and  weighed  bSI  thev  Zl^n^i^Z^r   ®*^  '^'^  '«•  "^ 
"In  front  of  the  CitvlnaU  w«;« ^l.„ ^L'l!!!^'?'!!^  m  the  pubhe  store>u«». 


"In  front  of  the  City^aU  were  bLo  tL  .V^Cril j  "* ^''  *"""""'  ■«»reJKMM._. 
«.!.«  -..„i,j-  ...T J*"*  ^«'«  «!»«  *«  ■*~*^.r'*  whippmg.po.t.    The  ducking.«tool. 

1,  notwithstanding  th«  Lutheran  mir'  •^^^^- 

nut  nim  fnr  atnL-MM  ^  r ■     ..  • 


ig  the  dewut  to 


— ~  v-"7-"»u  were  aiso  ine 

KX""AtTubh"c'?:Sc'ulr^^^^  th*  Luthenm  mini«er  S  1673 

him  to  it  iy  «o/rfiJ.'  T^eXt^rhad^wi??  ?•  '!^  *  ^V^''  ^'  •»>«  'provoked 
cucking^tool  was  Servi  for  the  suwriSr  iSSLL"Ti""'iS«  *l^«>d«n.ho»e.  but  the 
tion  for  their  want  of  gaUan^  fro^tKmeSS^i*''•£'^'"^.''5.«  «*«ri^«  •  "ic 
dered  in  February,  16^.  «at  a  m^l^n^^?!^^  r  **^2^  °i  ^"  C°°"»«»  ^^,  or. 
pillory,  cage  andliclS^lstSl  rrfXiA*S.- °™"'''  "^  '^'  ^"»»"°  Council.  . 

The  ibllowing  relation  from  Knickerbocker's  New  York  of  fh« 

SZ^K^^  ""'^^^^  °^  *^«  «"Jy  ^^"t<^»»  inhaWtaSHf  this  ci?v  ^ 
though  humorously  exaggerated,  is  by  no  means  devoM  of  hisSri^ 


( 


m 


NBW  TOKK  OOVNTT. 


••  I  wiU  not  griwe  their  patience,  however,  by  dwcribing  minntely  die  incjeeee  end  im. 
««iiS«trf  Sew  An-terfam.  Their  own  imynation.  .'^^""Me.e  PreeenXto  4e* 
S?!Mdbu»heie,  Uke  to  many  paine-taking  an7p«»eTenng  beaveni.  dowly  "d  «"J 
ZSS tihe?tab<^»-they  wiU  behold  the  pioaperou.  tranrformatton ft^"* »h^delog.h«t 
toU«^tely  Dutch  manrion,  with  brick  front,  glaied  windowe.  and  ^.^^f^^ 
teng^ed  thicket  to  the  luxuriant  cabbage  garden ;  and  from  the  ekulking  Indian  to  ^  pon. 
d«5ui  burgomaater.  In  a  word,  they  wiU  picture  to  thenuielTea  the  •»«»dy,  ailenMad  un. 
doTiating^arch  to  proaperity,  incident  to  a  city  dcatitute  of  pnde  or  ambitton,  chemhed  by 
a  fat  ffovemment.  and  whose  citi2en8  do  nothing  m  a  hurry. 

« •KiSTcoindl,  a.  ha-  been  mentioned  in  a  preceding  chapter  not  t«^  *««»•?»"- 
lermine  upS?  any  plai  for  the  building  of  their  city-the  cows,  in  a  »»«dablefit  of  pamoU 
tam  took  it  under  their  peculiar  charge,  and  aa  they  went  to  and  from  paature,  eaUbliahed 
ri-^ugh  Ao  buahe^  on  each  «de  of  which  the  good  folks  budt  feir  h«uj«|^(  w^ 
taone  cause  of  the  rambUng  and  picturesque  turns  and  tabynnth^  which  duitmguish  certam 

''TTh:Ss''orL''hSt'^^^^^^^^ 

end.  which  was  of  small  black  and  yeUow  Dutch  bncks,  -ad  always  faced  on*«  •»?"•"• 
our  ancestoia,  Uke  their  descendants,  were  very  much  given  to  outward  show,  "d  were 
^yr  pSSj  the  beat  leg  foremost.  The  house  was  alwaya  funushed  with  abundance 
rfSged^is^d  small  wtodow.  on  every  floor;  the  date  of  ,ts  erection  was  cuno«Jy 
deSated  by  iron  figures  on  the  front,  and  on  the  top  of  the  roof  was  Pfwhed  a  fierce 
utSTweSher^.^,  tolet  the  famUy  into  the  important  secret,  which  way  *«  wind  btew. 
TW  Uke  the  weathercocka  on  the  tops  of  our  steeples,  pointed  so  many  different  waya, 
SSTvery  mw  coiUd  have  a  wind  to  his  mind  ;-the  most  stanch  and  loyal  "tuens,  how. 
SerS^W  went  according  to  the  weathercock  on  the  top  of  the  governor's  house,  which 
WM  c?Sy  the  m^t  Set,  aa  he  had  a  trusty  servant  employed  every  mormng  to  chmb 

"'"'t  &«e  g^oS*d3f  rf  Sicity  «!.'.  «m.bine  a  pasrion  ^r  cleanliness  w^diele«U^ 
principl?"  domestic  economy,  and  the  universal  test  of  an  ''We  houMwife,-*  ch^^^^^^^^ 
Which  formed  the  utmost  ambition  of  our  unenhghtened  gnuidmothers.  The  fron«  ^oor 
WM  neveVopened  except  on  marriages,  funerals,  new  year's  days,  the  festival  of  St.  N.ch. 
otas  or  aomrsuch  great  occasion.  It  was  ornamented  with  a  goigeous  brass  knocker, 
S^irwroSt  iometimes  in  the  device  of  a  dog.  and  sometimes  of  a  hotfs  head,  and 
tTdSly  bSSed  w"di  such  religious  zeal,  that  it  was  ofttime.  worn. out  by  the  venr 
KMaudons  taken  for  its  preservation.  The  whole  house  was  constantly  m  a  state  of  mun. 
dS  rdwthe  discipLe  of  mops  and  broo.ns  and  sciubbing  brushes;  and  the  good 
hoiTwiTOS  of  those  days  were  a  kind  of  amphibious  animal,  delighting  exceedmgly  to  be 
dSi  in  water^insomuch  than  an  historian  of  the  day  gravely  tells  us.  tha  many  of  h» 
towSromen  grew  to  have  webbed  fingeis  Uke  unto  a  duck ;  and  some  of  them,  he  had 
SdTScoddthe  matter  be  examined  into  ^^^d  be  found  to  have  the  tails  of  mer- 
maid^but  this  I  look  upon  to  be  a  mere  spon  ot  fancy,  or  what  is  worse,  a  wilful  misrep- 

"^¥he°Sand  parior  was  the  sanctmn  sanctormn,  where  the  passion  for  cleaning  was 

induired  ^out  control.    In  this  sacred  apartment  no  one  was  permitted  to  enter,  excepU 

SjSmtaSSs  a^d  her  confidential  maid,  who  visited  it  once  a  week,  for  the  purpose  of 

S  i^^dTough  cleaning,  and  putting  things  to  rights-*l.ways  toking  the  P'f  •«'»««  «f 

SS  their  A^  at  the  door,  and  entering  devoutly  on  their  stocking  feet.    After  scnib. 

Wn^Kloor  sDrinkUng  it  with  fine  wUte  sand,  which  was  curiously  stroked  mto  ang  es, 

Sc^riJi?riwmSds  wiS  a  broom-after  washing  the  window,  rubbmg  and  pohsh. 

SSSitufo,  a^"  puSiv  a  new  bunch  of  eveigreens  in  the  foeplace-the  window 

ffi£»^Sl^cl«e«ito  keep  out  the  flies,  and  the  room  carefuUy  locked  up  until  the 

mvolutionofmebroughtroundthe  weekly  cleaning  day.  j  •»  a. 

"AatoSeftmilTdSrflwaya  entered  in  at  the  gate,  and  moat  »nerally  hved  in  the 

kite^i     To  bSJUVi  mLS^us  household  assembled  around  the  fire,  one  would  have 

h££d  thTt  iK  WM  ttwMporteff  back  to  those  happy  days  of  primeval  sunplicity,  which 

Sffiforelr  hi^nJffike  golto  virions.    The  fireplnc«i  were  of  l^fl^^^ 

SSidS"  whewX  whole  fiunUyrofl  a^d  yom«, -"-f  ^•»d J^rrjm^  Wack  and  wbte, 

naTevMi  the  very  cat  and  dog,  enjoyed  a  aprnmumty  of  pnvilege,  and  had  each  a  mM  to 

a  ™     Here  diroWbSer  w^d  ait  Ip  perfect  silence,  pufiing  hia  pipe,  looking  m 

Sie&e;nth  iSlfSut  eyeirSdthinkinff  of  nothing  for  ho™  together;  the  goede-^^ 

?n  £  ow"iKde  woiUd  emplorhe«;&^dil«eBftrin  qiii^^ 

TTirvoumr  folks  would  crowd  around  4e  heaiA»  hrtening  with  breathleaa  MtonUon  to 


IB  a  comer  ox 


e  of  a  negro,  who  vwa  the  oracle  of  the  fcmily,  and  who,  perched  hk?  ajy 
r  A.  ^t.J.~  .^..M  »«.b  toiA  tat  m.  toiup  winter  afternoon  a  stnng  of 


.♦ 


HBW  TO«K  OOONTT. 


101 


OMUUe  itoriM  alMMit  N«w  En^aod  witeiM-griilv  iAmt»-4uMm  widwM 
l»kbiMdth  awape.  ud  bloodjrencouat,n^LSiSi  KT^  ^" 
nd  wmI^  ffi''i'!;:!doSi^^^  AmUy  .1W.J,  ro«,  with  th.  d.w„.  dined  «  •I.t.b. 

by  a  v»t  from  .  neighbor  on  Mich  oco«ion..    fiTZJh^i  wSSHiSiSS'w^Srr' 

•xofpthW  in  geSiirlK  SSr  ^"'^  '^  "'*'•  •"  ''"^"^  -c-ce  known  in  thi.  city. 

»pt:"tete  whf.;^""?!^  "  -.ptentohmg  ,hi.  ^C  a«C 
copper  tea-JtetUe,  which  would  have  made  the  piizmv  macaronien  of 
Jiese  degenerate  davs  sweat  merely  to  look  at^itr^rsw^etTthe 
^ZTS^'  *  ^rfP  ^(K"  ^^^  ^^d  ^«'de  each  cupi^a^d  the  co^ 

Sr^T  f  ^'^  introduced  by  a  shrewd  and  economic  old  ladv 

s^nl  Zm  thT^^x  *  '"«l'"?P  directly  over  the  tea  table,  by^' 
stnng  trom  the  ceihng,  so  that  it  could  be  swune  from  mouth  to 

^w  Ber^7riat"B„Th^'V'r"^  ^^''^^"*  excVon  hi  CommZ- 
PTlffK*^  '  *^'**  ?"«'^'  «»^ all  our  uncontaminated  Dutch  vUlatfes 
delwJinf  P"™-S,^  ^Z^^J^^'  the  utmost  propriety  and  di^^Jfof 
nlTl»r"^  prevailed.  No  flirting  nor  coquetting-no  gwnbS  of 
till^^ri  ^''^^^''  chattering  and  romping  of  yoSgonSo 
self-satisfied  struttmgs  of  wealthy  gentlemen,  with  thd?  bSSnT^ 
^e.r  pockets-nor  amusing  concdtsfand  monke^diverti'LSs  S 
smart  young  gentlemen,  i^th  no  brains  at  all.  6n  the  con^^v  tkl 
young  ladies  seated  themselves  demurely  in  t£ir  nJsh  S'm5j 
chairs,  and  knit  their  own  woollen  stockii^sTnorTverop^^'SSJ 
hps  exceptmg  to  say,  yoA  Mynher,  or  yahyaVr^w^to  X^eS 

caJnT  ''^'^  '^r. '  ^'^*^'"«'  ^»  all  thing!,  like  deceMf-edu" 
cated  damsels.    As  to  the  gentlemen,  each  oT  them  tranqSlv  smokeJ 

with  which  the  fireplaces  were  deporated ;  wherein  sundrvMss^a 
of  scnpture  were  piously  portrayed-mit  andrsXSX 
fnnl^'*''^**^^'  ^^"^  ^^»»g  conspicuously  on  WsSS  aiS 


/ 


21 


103 


NBW  TOKK   OOUKTT. 


«*  The  parties  broke  up  without  noise  and  without  confusion.  They 
'Wire  carried  home  by  tneir  own  carriages,  that  is  to  say,  by  the  ve- 
Iiddes  nature  had  provided  them,  excepting  such  of  the  wealthy  as 
codd  aiibrd  to  keep  a  wagon.  The  gentlemen  gallantly  attended 
their  fair  ones  to  their  respective  abodes,  and  took  leave  of  them  with 
a  hearty  smack  at  the  door ;  which,  as  it  was  an  established  piece  of 
etiquette,  done  in  perfect  simplicity  and  honesty  of  heart,  occasioned 
no  scandal  at  that  time,  nor  should  it  at  the  present-^f  our  great 
grandfathers  approved  of  the  custom,  it  would  argue  a  great  want  of 
reverenc*in  their  descendants  to  say  a  word  against  it. 

"  In  this  dulcet  period  of  my  history,  when  the  beauteous  island  of 
Manna-hatta  presented  a  scene,  the  very  counterpart  of  those  glowing 
pictures  drawn  of  the  golden  reign  of  Saturn,  there  \yas,  as  I  have 
oefore  observed,  a  happy  ignorance,  an  honest  simplicity  prevalent 
among  its  inhabitants,  which,  were  I  even  able  to  depict,  would  be  but 
little  understood  bv  the  degenerate  age  for  which  I  am  doomed  to 
write.  Even  the  female  sex,  those  arch  innovators  upon  the  tranquil- 
lity, the  honesty,  and  greybeard  customs  of  society,  seemed  for  a 
while  to  conduct  themselves  with  incredible  sobriety  and  comeliness. 

"  Their  hair,  untortured  by  the  abominations  of  art,  was  scrupu- 
lously pomatomed  back  from  their  foreheads  with  a  candle,  and  cov- 
ered with  a  Utile  cap  of  quilted  calico,  which  fitted  exactly  to  their 
heads.  Their  petticoats  of  linsey  woolsey  were  striped  with  a  va- 
riety of  gorgeous  dyes — though  I  must  confess  these  gallant  garments 
were  rather  short,  scarce  reaching  below  the  knee ;  but  then  they 
made  up  in  the  number,  which  generally  equalled  that  of  the  gentle- 
men's small-clothes ;  and  what  is  still  more  praiseworthy,  they  were 
all  of  their  own  manufacture— of  which  circumstance,  as  may  well 
be  supposed,  they  were  not  a  little  vain. 

"  These  were  the  honest  days,  in  which  every  woman  staid  at  home, 
rend  the  Bible,  and  wore  pockets — ay,  and  that  too  of  a  goodly  size, 
fashioned  with  patch-work  into  many  curious  devices,  and  ostenta- 
tiously worn  on  the  outside.  These,  in  fact,  were  conveiiient  recep- 
tacles, where  all  good  housewives  carefully  stored  away  such  things 
as  they  wished  to  have  at  hand ;  by  which  means  they  often  came 
to  be  incredibly  crammed — and  I  remember  there  was  a  story  cur- 
rent when  I  was  a  boy,  that  the  lady  of  Wduter  Van  Twiller  once 
had  occasion  to  empty  her  right  pocket  in  search  of  a  wooden  ladle, 
and  the  utensil  was  discoverwl  lying  among  some  rubbish  in  one  cor- 
ner— ^but  we  must  not  give  too  much  faith  to  all  these  stories ;  the 
anecdotes  of  those  remote  periods  being  very  subject  to  exaggera- 
tion. 

**  Besides  these  notable  pockets,  they  likewise  wore  scissors  and 
pincushions  suspended  from  their  girdles  by  red  ribands,  or  among 
the  more  opulent  and  showy  classes,  by  brass,  and  even  silver  chains 
—indubitable  tokens  of  thrifly  housewives  and  industrious  spinsters. 
I  cannot  say  much  in  vindication  of  the  shortness  of  the  petticoals ; 
it  doubtless  was  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  stockmgs  a 
chance  to  be  seen,  which  were  frenerallv  of  blue  worsted  with  mac- 


NIW   YOIK   COUITTY. 


163 


nificent  red  clocks— or  perhaps  to  display  a  well-turned  ankle,  and 
a  neat,  thoueh  serviceable,  foot,  set  off  by  a  high-heeled  leathern 
shoe,  with  a  large  and  splendid  silver  buckle.  Thus  we  find  that 
the  gentle  sex  in  all  ages  have  shown  the  same  disposition  to  infrinire 
a  little  upon  the  laws  of  decotum,  in  order  to  betray  a  lurkimr  beautv 
or  gratify  an  innocent  love  of  finery.  " 

««bkTt£t'S'««\fT/T*''  "V"  ^^^"^  *■*  our  (rood  gnindmothem  differed  condd. 
ewbly  w  theiridew  of  a  fine  figure  from  their  icantily  dremd  deacendanta  of  the  preaent 
day.  A  fine  My,  ,n  thoae  time.,  waddled  under  more  clothe.,  even  on  a  fdrmiSSS 
SSi«dh:r?K ''*  ^7  «"•«»  .the  whole  bevy  of  a  modern  balUoom.  Nor  were  Ae^SS 
£ri?„.I  '"""T""'"  '=''"»?«l»e''~  *««of.  On  the  eontmry,  the  greatnea.  ofT 
Itorr.^  ■?'"""' »«  w"""*  '"  P/oPottion  to  the  magnitude  of  ii  objeS-iSra  vo! 
ft  p"  inTto  ^il'nV  **"""  of  P«tticoau,  wa.  declared  by  a  Low  DutclilSLttirr 
toin  ?t  L  Z?1n^K^  J^^'.t*  a  •unflower.  and  luxuriant  a.  a  fuU  blown  cabbage.  Cer- 
riZ  whll!  ,uT  ***'^  '''*' '??'"  °f  '  '°^"  "*>"'<*  "ot  contain  more  than  onelady  at  a 
J  do«n  ThS  .iLi:"^^'  K*?*"™  ^^'  ••"  "f**"  '~™  «"»"«»'  ^  accommod"J£|f 
have^wn  uJTr^"  A  '""''  '  «T'l!•'^*^•'«''  **•  "*"  the  heart,  of  th.  genUemen 
JhKrJKlermit.  '"~"'  "^  "^^  '"*"  •"•»«'^'»>^.  "^owevr.  i.  a  qJLdon  for 

«demrio?of',K?lL*.r'^"'  M*"™  "JSt*"  Petticoat.,  which  no  doubt  entered  into  the  oon. 
h.  ""  J  u*"  P™«>«nt  «aUant..  The  wardrobe  of  a  lady  wa.  in  thow  dav.  her  mIv  ftT 
tana;  and  aha  who  had  a  good  atock  of  petticoat,  and  .tockiaBuTa.  «  abSlSfv  « 

XTo^^ind^'Th^l^r^lh"''!? "''°"  ''  •""  •Wn.,"TCl«d'Jl"Tth': 
:Ih_\:  "'Meer.  The  ladie.,  therefore,  were  very  anxious  to  dieolav  then  now«rfi.l 
attraction,  to  the  greateat  advantage;  and  the  beat  ^m.  in  tl^^ ho£  in«^  rfTlS 
Jdomed  with  caricature,  of  dame  naturo,  in  water  colo«  i^nd  needlework  were  alw™ 

KtTwiK  oatentation  that  .till  prevail,  among  the  heireLJTo^ow 

rim.P'!.*!;!'''"^"^'  ?°  ^■°*'  '''"'  ^«^^  "»  *•  c'wlea  of  the  gay  world  in  thew  ancient 
tome.,  correaponded,  m  most  parUculara,  with  the  beauteoua  dl^  whwe  S^il-  ifJ 

did  they  estabhsh  dieir  claima  to  gentility  at  the  ezpenra  of  their  taUo»-for  aL  vm^ 
mt  w?J*"!l"  *'  ?^^*''  ^^  "^''y^  "«»  ♦^^  tranquilHty  of  ^SSS  yo^Jie^ 
CtrH?„??"'^r° '"/"'' ^r'""*'"'  every  good  houiwife  mSi^  doA^rfW 
huaband  and  famUy,  and  even  the  goede  vrouw  of  Van  TwiUer  himwlf  thonri.Thn«  5S' 
pajagement  to  cut  out  her  huaband'a  linwy  wool«y  gpU^iK  "**"  "  ~  ""^ 

Kot  but  what  there  were  M>me  two  or  three  youngetera  who  manifested  the  fint .!.«» 

^mJkifnr"  """f  ^  •y^  'r*-  WhoheldLlXin  coitem™  Adk2r.bStdS; 
and  market  place. ;  loitered  in  the  nmshine ;  wjuandered  what  litde  iIionevX™iJ^ 
cure  at  huatie^sap  and  chuck.fittthing,  awore  boxed.  Kht  cock,  a^^^^  ^ 

bor-a  honjea-in  short,  who  promised  to  be  'the  v^oAde^Se  t^'aS  .SS^itfon  of  "£ 

"Far  other,  however,  wa.  the  truly  faahionable  gentleman  of  those  dav»-lu.  d>M. 


IM 


NIW   TORK  OOatfTT. 


DBca  WW  th»  happr  reign  of  Woutw  Van  TwUler,  o«l«bnt«d  in  nmny  a  lonf-fbigotMB 
■mtf  W  th*  raid  gold«n  age,  *•  rut  hting  nothing  but  oounwrfeit  copper-waduid  ooia.  la 
Sm  delightful  period,  a  aweet  and  holy  calm  reigned  over  the  whole  prwrince,  Tb*  bor. 
ceniaatOTamoked  hi*  pipe  in  peace— the  aubetantial  eolace  of  hia  domeetic  caree,  after  her 
daily  toOa  were  done,  aat  aoberly  at  the  door,  with  her  arma  croaMsd  over  her  apron  of 
anoWr  white,  without  being  insulted  by  ribald  atraet  walkers  or  vagabond  boya-thoee 
unhicky  urchJne,  who  do  so  infeet  our  atreett,  diapTaying  under  the  roeee  of  youth  the 
thorns  and  briera  of  iniquity.  Then  it  waa  that  the  lover  with  ten  breeches,  and  the  dam- 
•el  with  petdooats  of  half  a  score,  indulged  in  aU  the  Innocent  endeaimente  of  virtnoM  lore 
without  ITar  and  wiUiout  reproach ;  for  what  had  that  virtue  to  fear,  which  was  defended 
by  a  shield  of  good  linaey  woolseys,  equal  at  leaat  to  die  seven  bull  hidea  of  the  invincible 

*^Ah,  blissful,  and  never  to  be  forgotten  age !  when  every  diing  waa  better  than  it  haa 
ever  bwin  aince,  or  ever  wiU  be  again— when  ButtermUli  Channel*  waa  quite  dry  at  tow 
water— when  die  shad  in  the  Hudson  were  aU  sahnon,  and  when  the  moon  shone  with  a 
pore  and  resplendent  whiteness,  instead  of  dut  melancholy  yellow  light  which  is  die  conae- 
quenee  of  her  sickening  at  the  abominations  she  every  night  witnensea  in  this  degenerate 

^^'  Happy  would  it  have  been  for  New  Amsterdam  could  it  always  have  «^ted  in  diia 
'Mate  of  blisaful  ignorance  and  lowly  aimpUcity;  but  alas!  die  days  of  chddhood  are  too 
■weet  to  lut !  Cidee,  like  men,  grow  out  of  them  in  time,  and  are  doomed  ahke  to  grow 
into  the  busde,  the  caiee,  and  miseriee  of  the  world.  Let  no  man  congratulate  hunael^ 
when  he  beholda  die  cMld  of  his  boeom  or  die  city  of  his  birdi  increasmg  in  magnitude  and 
UBportanoe— let  die  history  of  Ua  own  life  teach  him  die  dangers  (rf  the  one,  and  Una  ax. 
cMua.  litda  hiatMy  of  Mannahatta  convince  him  of  the  caUmidea  of  die  odier." 


THB  MIOaO  7U>T< 

The  celebrated  Negro  Plot,  1741,  occurred  when  there  were  about  ten  diousand  inhabi. 
tanta  in  thia  city,  of  which  one  eixth  part  were  negro  slaves.  .       .  v 

••  After  a  lapse  of  a  century,  we  look  back  with  astonishment  on  Uie  pMio  ocoaaoMd  by 
dM  Negro  Plot,  and  die  rancorous  hatred  diat  prevailed  here  against  die  Roman  CaUiobca. 
To  judge  from  tradition,  and  die  journal  of  die  proceedings  against  die  oonsinratorB,  no 
doubt  ean  be  had  of  the  actual  existence  of  a  plot  {  but  its  extent  cou^d  never  have  been  so 
neat  aa  die  terror  of  dioee  times  depicted.  The  very  mode  adopted  to  discover  abettors 
by  mutual  criminations  and  confessions,  tended  in  die  progress  of  die  trials  to  mculpate 
every  negro  slave  in  the  city.  We  accordingly  find,  that  die  number  of  conspiratora  dady 
incrMMd.  Aa  it  was  impossible  to  prove  aU  equaUy  guUty,  die  ringleaders  only  were  ex- 
ecutad  5  and  dioee  who,  to  save  dieir  Uvea,  plead  guilty,  and  threw  diemaelvea  on  Uie  mercy 
of  the  court,  were  transported.  .     .    „,      t  j-    •  1    j 

••  Inaurrectiona  and  conspiraciea  were  at  this  juncture  frequent  in  die  West  In^a  lalands, 
and  great  apprehensions  were  entertained  of  an  invasion  by  the  French  and  Spaniards. 
These  circumstances  aggravated  die  horror  of  a  domestic  plot  to  such  a  degree,  diat  the 
white  inhabitants,  regarding  every  negro  slave  as  an  incendiary  and  an  assassin,  earned 
dieir  apprehensioha  and  resenlment  beyond  ail  bounds.  ...        ,  .      .      l      j 

"A  holy  hatred  <rf  die  Roman  Catholics  was  at  that  penod  mculcatod  by  church  and 
atato.  Our  Dutch  forcfadiers,  glowing  with  all  the  zeal  of  the  eariy  reformers,  enugrated 
to  thia  country  riiordy  after  die  emancipation  of  the  United  Netiierlands  from  die  Spanish 
yoke,  and  fostered  sll  die  rancor  of  dieir  race  against  Papists  snd  Spaniards.  It  was  die 
policy  of  die  EngUA  government,  after  the  conquest,  to  cherish  diis  animosity,  and  thoee 
of  our  readers  who  were  bom  and  educated  before  die  American  revolution^iU  recollect 
how  religiously  they  were  taught  to  abhor  the  Pope,  Devil,  and  Pretender.  The  act  of  our 
Provincial  A»e«pbly,  against  Jesuits  and  Papist  priests,  passed  2rt  William  and  Mary,  and 
which  continued  in  full  force  until  our  independence,  waa  owing,  not  only  to  dieae  preju. 
dicea,  but  to  the  exposed  situation  of  die  colony,  the  northern  frontier  of  which  was  bounded 
by  Canada,  at  diat  time  in  possession  of  France,  the  natural  and  ever^aring  enemy  to  Eng- 
iMid.  The  intolerant  spirit  of  diis  act  nhows  die  horror  and  detestation  in  which  die  Roman 
Cadiolics  were  held,  and  will  account  why  so  few  of  tins  profession  existod  m  dua  city  and 
colony  before  the  revolution. 


•  In  olden  timea  die  c)jnumel  waa  but  a  litde  creek  wlw^  aeparatod  die  mainland  from 


X^VT^f^^via 


J 


WBW   TO«K   OO0NTY. 


lea 


houaand  inhabi. 


«  munluMl  friHn 


"  I»  MtiiMlinff  thia  ringnlar  event  in  onr  eohmla!  hiatorr.  th*  eIniuin.i.nM.  ^a^  — 

•hould  be  dvljr  conddewd,  before  we  too  hMSwnderan  Ae  S^^JT^rL  ?*  2^ 

over  the  fort  gate,  which  f'rtonaS?  wSil  D«Ki  ^hS.^.?^  ^  Secretary  of  Stafe, 
out  at  the  windoiU,  and  thr»De«  b^^'L^^r^^  "."'•  ''1!"^  *•'  ^•"  »«"* 

Pia  were  aoon  afte?  f^rW  or^  oiS^n  If  !!^l^^•i^..»'•^  P^'".  «J>e  peo. 
amor  that  it  waa  «oundl«»^    Tn ^iT    *      j '*°*^  "Joof,  aiUiough  aaaured  by  the  Oor. 

ve„«w.  old  i>:,crch2Xwe«  *«  tisslT  "nitsn'T'  '"''^' :?''  *• 

worlt,  with  hia  pot  of  coala  and  aolderimr  iZ?^*  m«JiT?  u  h«d  that  morning  been  at 
houae  and  the  chapel,  ndtXbSS^^n^^^tJt'^  *"  *•  ^"•''  '»«''««n  the 
glea,  or  under  the  wofc  S?  Sf  S»A  «f  iSr™k  '^°'^^^  ^l"*^  *"•  ■P"''"  o"  *«  dry  •Wn- 
brok.  out  at  the  ^XeaP^nd  of  di  toii  a5d'orA%S«!!^*A*  ^  "  1l"  f»«.^*5 
«»'«.|>f  *•  town,  at  Van  Znndi%coZrJBlXt^^p^Wn^^l'*^^  Vk*?  u*^ 
April,  two  other  alarma  wem  mu).  .nj  «ll  j"^^       ?         water^treet.    On  the  4th  of 

M?™Murray..  haySS^  r^'Sr^JialT  «dh!«Sl  i^'^^'J*'  "tT  «™1f ^' 
coala  put  under  it,  which  wentSut  of  themaelwil    oS,mZu1  a     "*'"''•>**  ■<"•  ^"^ 

were  led  on  by  a  villian  nL^n»^hLV  ,  *'***''*««1.""  •>«>»«  concerned.    The  nenoea 

.ilt^FSoio^.tdAt'i'Sn^  unp^cedented  p«p.^ 

-..-_,  .,.„„..^  ,„  .^.,  common-,  irom  whence  thcy  marched  down'th^Fly.-;;;;^^;^^ 


166 


NMW   YO>K   OOUNTT. 


nnmbar  of  Hghti,  tnd  htTiu  ■topped  i  ftw  minutM  at  th*  ColF—  Houm,  prooMdad  to  th« 
Fon  Walk,  when  they  broke  open  the  atable  of  the  L— 1 0  r,  took  out  hia  eoaeht  w>d 
■Aor  canyiiw  the  lame  through  the  prineipal  atreeta  of  the  city,  in  triumph  marohed  to  the 
oommona,  where  a  gallowa  waa  erected ;  on  one  end  of  which  waa  auapended  the  uKgf  of 
the  perwn  whoae  property  die  coach  waa.  In  hia  rif  ht  hand  he  held  a  atamped  Bill  of 
Lading,  and  on  hia  breaat  waa  aflUed  a  paper  with  the  following  inacription,  *  Ths  Rtktl 
Dnmmn  im  the  y««r  1715 :'  at  hia  back  waa  alBxed  a  drum,  the  badge  of  hia  proAaaion ; 
at  the  other  end  of  the  gallowa  hung  the  figure  of  the  devil,  a  proper  conipanion  for  the 
other,  aa  'tie  auppoaed  it  waa  entirely  at  hia  inatigadon  he  acted :  after  thejr  had  hung  there 
a  oonaiderable  time,  they  carried  diit  effigiea,  with  the  gallowa  entire,  being  precMed  by 
the  coach,  in  a  grand  proceaaion  to  the  gate  of  the  fort,  where  it  remained  for  aome  time, 
from  whence  it  waa  removed  to  the  Bowling  Oreen,  under  the  musilee  of  the  fort  guna, 
where  a  bon-fire  waa  immediately  made,  and  the  drummer,  tUM,  mtd  eeocA,  &c.,  were 
eonaumed  amidat  the  aochmiationa  of  aome  thouaand  apecutora,  and  we  make  no  doubt, 

but  the  L — t  G r,  and  hia  ftienda,  had  the  mortification  of  viewing  the  whole  proceed. 

ing  from  the  nunparta  of  the  fort :  But  the  buaineaa  of  the  night  not  being  yet  concluded, 
the  whole  body  proceeded  with  the  greateat  decency  and  good  order  to  Vauzhall,  the  houae 
of  M— r  J— a,  who,  it  waa  reported,  waa  a  friend  to  the  Stamp  Act,  and  had  been  over 
<Acioua  in  hia  duty,  firom  whence  they  took  every  individual  article  to  a  v^ry  conaiderable 
amount;  and  having  made  another  bon-fire,  the  whole  waa  eonaumed  in  the  flamea,  to  the 
great  aatia&otion  of  every  peraon  preaent ;  after  which  they  diaperaed,  tnd  every  man  went 
to  hia  reapective  habitation.  The  whole  afiair  waa  conducted  with  auch  decorum,  that  not 
the  leaat  accident  happened. 

"  The  next  evening  another  very  eoqaiderable  body  aaaembled  at  the  aame  place,  having 
been  informed  that  the  L—t  Q -t  had  qualified  himself  for  the  distribution  of  the  Stamped 

Cper,  were  determined  to  march  to  the  fort,  in  order  to  insist  upon  hia  delivering  into  their 
nds,  or  to  declare  that  he  would  not  undertake  to  distribute  the  same ;  but  before  thia 

reaolution  could  be  executed,  the  minds  of  the  people  were  eaaed  by  the  L— t  G r'a 

aending  the  following  declaration  from  the  fort,  viz : — 

"•rpHE  Lieut.  Governor  declares  he  will  do  nothing  in  Relation  to  the  Stamps,  but  leave 

J.  it  to  Sir  Henry  Moore,  to  do  aa  he  pleaaee  on  hia  arrival.  Council  Chamber,  New 
Yu-k,  Not).  9, 1765.    By  Order  of  Hie  Honor.  Ww.  Bamtab  D.  CI.  Con. 

" '  We  can  asaure  the  Gentlemen  of  the  neighboring  Provincee,  That  every  Importer  of 
European  Gooda  in  this  City,  have  agreed  not  to  Import  any  Oooda  from  England  next 
Spring,  unleaa  the  Sugar  Act,  and  the  Oppressive  and  Unconatitutional  Stamp  Act  are 
repealed.' " 


I*  JV«e  York,  Jan.  8th,  1763.— Thursday  next  is  appointed  to  celebrate  the  birth  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  when  there  is  to  be  a  treble  discharge  of  all  the  artillery  in  thia  place,  and 
the  evening  is  to  be  concluded  with  the  play  of  the  fail  Penitent,  by  the  officeia  of  the 
army,  in  a  theatre  built  for  that  purpose." 

**  New  York,  Dee.  13, 1765^-We  are  credibly  informed  that  there  were  married  laat 
Sunday  evening,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Auchmuty,  a  veiy  respectable  couple,  that  had  been  pub. 
Uahed  at  three  different  timee  in  Trinity  church.  A  laudable  example  and  worthy  to  be 
followed.  If  thia  decent,  and  for  many  reaaons,  proper  method  of  publication  waa  once 
generally  to  take  place,  we  should  hear  no  more  of  claqdestine  marriages,  and  save  the  ex. 
penae  of  licenaea,  no  inconaiderable  aum  theae  hard  and  diatreaaing  timea." 

"•NIjw  York,  March  13th,  1766. — Upon  a  supposition  that  the  cannon  upon  the  Battery 
in  this  city  were  spiked  by  order  of  Lieutenantgovemor  Colden,  hia  effigy  waa  exhibited 
last  Thursday,  sitting  upon  a  piece  of  ordnance,  properly  mounted  v/ith  a  drill  constructed 
in  wch  a  manner  aa  to  be  continually  working ;  at  hia  back  hung  a  drum  aa  a  badge  of  hia 
former  profeaaiou :  On  hit  breast  waa  fixed  a  paper  on  which  were  the  following  linea : 
'  I'm  deceived  by  the  d^vil  and  left  in  the  lurch ; 
And  am  forced  to  do  penance,  tho*  not  in  the  church.' 

**  After  it  had  appeared  in  the  principal  atreeta  of  the  city  attended  by  many  thousand 
spectators,  (although  it  rained  great  part  of  the  time,)  it  waa  carried  to  the  common,  where 
a  lire  waa  immediately  made,  and  the  whole  consumed  by  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  multitude,  who  diapeised  drecdy  thereafter.  ....  The 
affair  waa  conducted  with  auch  order  and  decwum,  diat  no  person  auatained  the  least 
damage. 


liW   VO««   CUUNTV. 


IS7 


numbwi  of  poor  People  cJ^^ZXdZTri  i\^tZ.''l^^  '''^"  «?«» 

!>•  tompMd  to  negloot  their  b^MntmTMdK^u^d^r^T^^lZtu^^^^  •*"""■  ""^^ 
P«ym«nt  of  tlMir  d«bti  and  .uDDoinf  th-lrT^Ml  "  ""^  '^'"''"'  *■  "•"••"nr  »o4e 

othen  were  dangerously  hurt  but^  CJ^  n/^'^  "f ' '"'  TJ''""^  " '''"'»»''"' '  ••"«» 
demoliahed  the  hou,rwriS  thl^firi  ?J  ''""  '°*^  ^''"  multitude  immediatelr 
bonfire."  '  ^""^  "*'  P""""  '^^  **"  common,  where  they  consumed  them  in  « 


guanl  againat  the  importation  of  Englih^io^s  •  for  I  feX"!":  ,"  •*!  P""'?"'"'/  on  your 
rate,  aa  it  appears  quite  plain  from  thi.  mK  f.  ?  you  will  not  get  them  sold  at  any 

few  weeks  I  happewd  ^  S^^'™ "  ?"  „' !?,  '^'"••70"  "V  depend  upon.  Within  the^ 
other  things,  theTtook  btTthTm;;  -"^  "•"""«"  of  wme  towns  here,  when  aratw 
good,  froif  WU^int':,  a'^'d' U  w«  ."SyraSonedt"  "V^^  ''  "We^H 
these  several  years  post  cleirimr  new  UnH?  .nJ  "?'°°"**  ♦^"«  =  We  have  gone  (said  they) 
lected  the  raising  of  sheen  .ndfl"  J  "**■  *"*'  "winggram  only,  and  have  fooUahly  hm 
.t  the  stores  Zl  Ike  tSem  at  ou'r^oZ- •''.^l.n'"'''  '^°"«'"  ^  •=«"''»  »»'>'  «hem  che'S 
land  for  their  fineries,  and  h"re  kh^nT^Jn  ''  ""*«"'•""''  "  ^•'""x  oarried  to  eS' 
•carcely  seen  in  a  year's  titno^aL  thi!  wh«r«  """"'  'l"  '"u  '  *'"''•  »«*«  O"'  ««in"t 
chant's  shop,  in8tettnLTu,;e  he  mJt  .^k-      ""  ^'^l^  !?  '',"''  '"^  nece««rio.  5V„," 

scotcToriSifestr^^^^^^ 

tyrannically  and  inflexibly,  ftom^e  ,„  Z!  ,^  •  "*  *'f'""'  ^"^  <«  <>"»«fy  Britwn 

awa,  new  admiralty  cS,  o^^iTpV  cSL  S.^nZT'L^^r"'''"'  '^•""~""  "^ 
hgious  liberties  piecemeal,  intU  we  wd  o^  SJSLritJ  w^!?'i;*°  .V'''''  T"''' ""  «"«'  «««  «■ 
Spaniard  or  African.  "»  we  ana  our  poatenty  were  finaUy  enslaved  ■•  deep  as  uy 

BriibhgSdV, Sfot'SetS' of  ot"!i&  'r JT r,i°  ""'  "7  "«"•  of  "id 
treated  by  all  his  neighbo»  «  STown  enemJ^^-'n  •i!'  "^  ^  "if"'.  "»P'»««<C deemed,  .ad 
country,  &c.  &c.     "«  """  "  •"  "PO"  onomy  to  all  the  civil  and  rehgioua  interasta  of  tbSr 

P^WntTa^Xt'JiK  Sy7a^e?'n^K*r'"'.  ^  '>'  *"•  "«»  ^e  other 
wid  bishop's  couS,  &^,  and  Znhn^i^L^"  'T  *!S*u*"  ""'^  «'"''«l'y  courtt! 
you  do  in  the«,  circmtiS^  £SS^!lL7o?;Srrrl?^^  ^"^ 

how  many  merchanta  have  been  aenrVnfin!-J^k  ^^  •,•  "^'^'  ^^^  "»««»<i  and  tea 
good.,  and  not  getting  A^m^ld ZTj  iSri^^'lSS; Ic™^''  "^  '"'"'^  ^^ 

"  T^  fl.H.^  Btmi  «*•  2Ve»  Fer*  Oaxette,  March  99. 1770. 

poleS.^M?,'VhSf  SSVL'SS  iie^dif  :gf  r r  --  '.^^  *•  Kberty. 
away  the  topmast  and  vane }  a.  ^"u^lieTwiw  di-T^S^H  T"'  ***>"  °'*"  "«» '^ 
were  accidentally  citMsing  the  men  at  A.^Jl^T  '''*"'^""«*.  ^'o  or  six  young  men  who 

Jey  were  al^„t.'b«7SeTwere*ieiat;;  Scked^Ld'^di^vrS.^K''  '^'''  »*  ^  ^^' 
diera ;  who,  finding  that  Uiev  weredi«.nv3  «„  j  k  :  ™T?°  °^  *«  «"•"  «>y  the  soU 
would  be  alarmedTthey  ma/e^ff^  S^n  Sf^'  '**^"«  •PP«»'0'»iTe  that  the  inhabitwi 
Jeir  friend,  with  Ihfp'ro^ee*^'  of^^iSdleruZ  whTchT'  "'V.'"""  ""^  ~'>'"^^«3 
the  green.  ^  goin,  to  the  ^ifw,«  tJeSiSSS  ?' 4o' Jl'fiS'i&Sth^SSrr 


166 


NBW  TOBK  OOUim 


kMM  4rMni  I  upon  which  4  or  5  of  thoni  romtud  to  tha  hoiiw  at  Mr.  Biokor,  ud  war* 
IbUowad  by  part  of  tha  ■oidien,  who  imiMdiaUljr  oallod  oat  Cor  tho  Mldion  from  tho  bar. 
tMha ;  upon  which  th«y  were  joined  by  •  very  conaidenblo  body  who  eamo  over  tho  bw. 
rsok  fence.  Mr.  Bicker  teeing  himMlf  and  Inmtly  in  dancer,  and  expoaad  to  the  inauiii  of 
•  Ueentioui  and  bniul  aoldierr,  atood  with  hia  bayonat  flxed.  datarminad  to  dafond  himaalf 
to  tha  laat  axtremity,  and  declared  that  he  would  ihoot  the  Brat  man  that  ahonid  attempt  to 
enter ;  they  aaveral  timea  attempted  to  force  the  under  door,  tha  uppai  door  being  open, 
which  Mr.  Bicker  kept  riiut  by  fiudng  the  point  of  hia  bayonet  againat  it,  while  they  kept 
ontting  and  hacking  the  barrel  of  hia  gun,  in  attempting  to  luI  him  down  with  their  out. 
laaaaa,— but  he  aoon  aAer  got  the  upper  door  ahut  and  barred ;  upon  which  they  atroTe  to 
braak  open  the  front  windowa,  which  were  alao  ahut,  one  of  which  they  forced  open,  broke 
the  panea  of  glaaa,  and  cut  all  the  fi«me  to  piecea,  in  order  to  get  into  the  houae.  Some 
people  who  were  in  the  houae  aeeing  the  imminent  danger  to  which  Mr.  Bicker  and  hia 
frimily  were  expoaed,  got  out  the  back  way  and  ran  to  alarm  the  citixena.  The  chapel  boll 
waa  immediately  rung,  upon  die  hearing  of  which,  the  aoldiera  retreated  precipitately.  A 
number  of  the  citiiena  were  up  all  night  and  under  arma,  which  probably  prevented  any 
miachief  being  done,  aa  they  repeatedly  awore  that  they  would  aet  fire  to  the  houae,  and 
bum  or  deatroy  every  peraon  in  it.  Col.  Robertaon,  the  commanding  olRcer  of  the  regi. 
ment,  repaired  to  the  barracka,  aa  aoon  aa  he  had  notice  of  the  diaturbance ;  he  immediately 
ordered  the  centinela  to  be  confined,  and  remained  up  all  night  to  prevent  any  further  mis. 
chief  being  done ;  and  aa  a  number  of  inhabitantt  nightly  guarded  the  pole,  till  the  Trans, 
porta  with  the  soldien  were  aailed,  Uiey  were  disappointed  in  effecting  their  designs 
against  it,  although  they  poaitively  awore  that  they  would  carry  ofi*  aome  part  of  it  with  them.'* 


iFVem  f  Aa  tame,  Dtetmher  34, 1767 
"  To  be  disposed  of—the  remaining  time,  being  about  three  yeara,  of  three  German  aer. 
▼ania,  one  a  baker  by  trade,  one  a  butcher,  and  the  other  a  laborer.    They  are  very  in. 
duatrioua  good  men,  whoee  honeaty  haa  been  tried,  and  may  be  had  on  reaaonable  tenna. 
Inquire  of  the  printer  hereof." 


"  Laat  Thursday  being  the  anniveraary  of  Hia  M^eaty'a  birth.day,  when  he  entered  his 
SOth  year,  the  aame  waa  obaerved  here  with  great  aoiemnity.  About  U  o'clock  the  de. 
tsehment  of  the  train,  with  the  I7th  and  46th  regimenta,  were  paraded  on  the  battery,  and 
marched  in  order  by,  and  aaluted  hia  Excellency,  General  Gage ;  at  the  aame  time  hu  Ex. 
cdlency.  Sir  Henry  Moore,  the  members  of  Hia  M^eaty'a  council  for  thia  province,  his 
worahip  the  mayor,  and  the  reat  of  the  corporation,  and  moat  of  the  other  gentlemen  of 
tlw  eity,  were  aaaembled  in  FotT  Oboiob,  where  hia  M^jeaty'a  and  many  other  loyal  healllw 
were  drank,  under  the  diacharge  of  a  Royal  Salute  from  the  Fort,  which  waa  immediately 
followed  by  a  aalute  of  21  guna  from  the  Liberty  Polb,  on  which  was  auapended  a  Union  ; 
theoe  were  anawered  by  three  voUiea  from  the  troops,  five  of  Hia  Mi^eaty'a  ahipa,  and  many 
other  veaaels  in  our  harbor,  which  with  their  colors  displayed  made  a  very  grand  and  beautiful 
^pearanoe ;  the  two  regimenta  then  returned  to  their  barracks  and  the  train  to  the  Ounr, 
and  there  grounded  their  arma.  Elegant  entertainmenta  were  given  at  Fort  George,  and 
Head  Quarteta,  by  their  Excellenciea  Sir  Hetuy  Moore  and  General  Gage,  at  which  were 
preaant  all  the  gentlemen  of  the  army  and  navy,  and  moat  of  the  principal  gentlemen  of 
thia  plaee.  In  the  evening  the  moet  magnificent  fireworks  ever  seen  in  America  were 
played  off  before  a  very  great  nimiber  of  apectators.  Over  the  gate  of  Fobt  Gioiob  a 
mimber  of  lampa  were  diapoaed  in  auch  a  manner  aa  to  repreaent  a  Rbsal  Ceown  with  a 
ttkVKU.  Tbbb  on  each  aide,  and  before  the  door  of  hia  Excellency  Gen.  Gage,  waa  exhib. 
ited,  by  lanpa  properiy  placed,  a  large  and  elegant  appearance  of  the  Rotal  Amis  ;  diera 
being  a  general  iOumiBation  throughout  the  city.  The  fire.worka  were  conducted  in  auch 
a  manner  aa  ahowed  great  akill  and  judgment  in  the  prqjectora  and  operatora,  every  part  be. 
ing  played  off  with  the  greateat  eaao  imaginable,  in  the  following  order,  vix : — 

Ptrtt  Setj— Two  aignal  rockets,  royal  salutes  of  31  morons,  13  sky  rockets,  a  single 
vertical  wheel,  a  Chinese  fountain,  a  line  rocket  of  three  changes  and  a  swarm  box,  3 
gerba,  3  air  balloons  of  crackera  and  aei^nts,  a  Chineae  piece  with  a  horixontal  wheel,  a 
yew  tree  with  a  brilliant  fire,  a  neat  of  aerpenta. 

"  Second  Set. — Two  signal  rockets,  a  aahite  of  19  marona,  13  aky  rockets,  a  double 
vertieal  wheel,  an  illuminated  globe,  a  fire  tree  and  swarm  box,  2  air  balloons  with  crack, 
era  and  stars,  3  fixed  pieces  with  double  vertical  wheels,  a  range  of  fountains,  a  yew  tree  of 
brilliant  fire,  3  nests  of  serpents. 

**'Tkird Seti—Two  signal  rockela,  a  salute  of  17  taarons,  IS  aky  rockets,  3  signal  ver. 


»1W  TOtE   OODITTT. 


16t 


tied  whMli,  a  eweid*  of  kiilliut  firt,  a  Una  roolwt  of  ihn*  eh^.^  »j ,. 

.4  w  J  „j     .  '^^  **•  •*^'  •'•'••"^  9»rt,  1767. 

tho  monib  of  Fobnury.-   """"""•""  '»^«'  weather  it  aeldom  la  froian  then  bofin 

dfeiflint  of  tht  hout*  for  «u-A  i,0^..i-.       ,      ■?  P^^'well,  and  underwent  the  mnml 

tient.  Of  theee  he  took  .boTs^  ..V  CT  '  '"  P^P""'^"  ««  «»»e  con.titufion  of  the  mu 
giU  of  JV«e  ^vtanrfW  which^™.  ^  *"  ""'•  '"i  ^*  'P««"''""»  «f  'h*  other,  alaii 

ne-.  which  oh^it^\;,^tr:^dL::7jr,^^^^^^  vri'**  -••^  •  -iouAtlSi! 

dead.  He  had  been  dmnk  three  tSiea  that  day  beforeh/w"*!'  w-d»o<nrer.d  to  bo 
wae  not  aober  when  the  diacioHna  h««n  a  I  I  •  *"■  •"■»"«'«  »«  Bridewell,  and 
bodr  of  the  negro  wa/ope^Cd  n^Cfc.  „f  "".'  P''^""""  "d  wigeona  attended,  A. 
coroner'.  inqu^STbroughUn  Ae^  verdiTt^h.t  hr*^' "^^  •/'•""' '" '"'"""'  •PP«"««' '  *• 
with  the  effect,  of  the  medicTne  hrhS  Skin  tt tSiX'^'t^^J^'  *'*»^'  »*•* 
innocent  of  hi.  death. '  *""  "*■*  "'•  Pobb",  («ha  operator,;  waa 


heSJ^^flSS^S'on'hl'IL-S^  f  «T™-  •••^"f  -nt  U.  White. 

nificenUy  oHer^d  ,o  b^  applied  !n  Sieving  thlnJ^  ''?"1-'"*  '**'","^  *^<=»' »»  »»«»« mZ 
city  g^I.  We  have  the  Jle„ Je  ^  iK  AeTuW.V  .h"'?'"*'  °^u^"*^  ''»"^«'  "  *• 
entirely  releawd  from  impriwnrent.  Sd™o«  wh^i  H«fc  "'"  '^  '^'«'"  '»^»  ««•«» 
thi.  graciou.  bounty  have  had  a  vorrcomfo?t.W.^J!i^  *""j**^  laige  to  be  olearwi  by 
them  tbiough  the  winter."  ^  comfortable  pronaion  made  in  wood,  &c.,  to  eany 

poZ'irom"hUr  Ex^fen^  oSo?  T^o'n^f  £?'?''  ^'^"f  ""-•«'  the  «un  of  fifty 
cor^finedin  hi.  gaol,  hw  arolXT.  mn^  "'  '1  ^  dwtnbuted  for  the  reUef  of  debton 
indigent  m«n  wK  mWun^  hS  Xed'S.«i't """?"  S'T'J'^'''  ">«>  cheered SS 
of  igce  unhappy  pe.«.„a  oTZ'^^l'-l^Zl^^^^h^rZ^riSi^^^ 

%"vin^cL"Se^  ylSTNe'il'^.S^-.W"  ^•"-' "•«»  «°'-our  in  Chief  of  .^ 
Vic  Admiral  of  the  aSefrd  ffi,  i:ii^Z::;^:iZi;;  St''^'  "  "^^ 
wu^        ..       .  ^0  anif  Frotetmt  Minuter, 

AlKX^Untrof  Ke  P"ar".„^'  ^^S  ^T^/r"  O'-.  of  *•  City  of 
the  other  party,  for  which  thev  h.v«  i-^L   ^*  *^"y'"  °f  *«  •«>»  City,  Spinrtef.  of 
tion.,  That^lher  of  Lm  L,  aV WulTf^^^^^^^    '5''  *"""  ?r  Bo"*"  u,S?C«2 
or  Conaanguinity  to  hindelTtheir  Cg^;S  b  he  fefeK^^^^ 
therefore,  to  Authorize  and  Impower  yo7to  Jo^  A,^j5^"^;?f  Matrimony:  thaae  Uf 

^vm  mtaer  mv  Hand  and  Pmt»^^*.-^.  0..1  .^  »^  .  -.  .    .  "" 


kets,  S  aignal  ver. 


HENDK.  MORRIS,  D.  Seciy. 


W.  COSBT. 


"  On  the  aoth  of  i/"^  lu  ^'^*^  ^""^^  ^«'-  90.  "75. 
in  co»pSy?^4  Ca?t."S^ro«  'ST^^^'  f'^'i'^^  ^  ^  "^^^  (New  HayanJ 

^^  Of  New  v?»^si  t^p^£.,'i:is^sbs:i'j^^. 


170 


■HMVr  YOIK  COUNTY. 


■on  SeabtuTf  Judge  Fowler,  aqd  Loid  Underbill.  On  their  way  thither  they  werejoiiied 
bf  Captains  SciUick,  Richards,  and  Mead,  with  about  80  men.  At  Marrineck  they  burnt 
•  amall  sloop,  which  was  purchased  by  government  for  the  purpoee  of  carrying  provisioni 
on  board  the  Asia.  At  EJast  Cheater  they  seized  Judge  Fowler,  and  then  repaired  to  West 
Cheater  and  secured  Seabury  and  Underbill.  Having  possessed  themselves  of  these  eaitifls, 
diey  sent  them  to  Connecticut  under  a  strong  guard.  The  main  body,  consisting  of  75,  then 
proceeded  to  New  York,  which  they  entered  at  noon-day  on  horseback,  with  bayonets 
fixed,  in  the  greatest  regularity  went  down  the  main  street,  and  drew  up  in  close  order  be- 
fore  the  printing  office  of  the  infamous  James  RIVINGTON.  A  small  detachment  enter, 
ed  it,  and  in  alwut  three  quartera  of  an  hour  brought  off  the  principal  part  of  his  types,  for 
which  they  offered  to  give  an  order  on  Lord  Dunmore.  They  then  faced  and  wheeled  to 
the  left  and  marched  out  of  the  town  to  the  tune  of  YANKEE  DOODLE.  A  vast  con. 
course  of  people  assembled  at  the  coffeeJicuse  bridge,  on  their  leaving  the  ground,  gave 
them  three  hearty  cheers; 

'*  On  their  way  home,  they  disarmed  all  the  toriee  that  lay  on  their  route,  and  yesterday  ar. 
rived  here  escorted  by  great  number  of  gentlemen  from  the  westward,  the  whole  makuig  a 
very  grand  procession.  Upon  their  entrance  into  town  they  were  saluted  with  the  discharge 
of  two  cannon,  and  received  by  the  inhabitants  with  every  mark  of  approbation  and  re. 
spect.  The  company  divided  into  two  parties,  and  concluded  the  day  in  festivity  and  inno. 
cent  mirth.  Captain  Sears  returned  in  company  with  the  other  gentlemen,  and  proposed 
to  spend  the  winter  here  unless  public  business  should  require  his  presence  in  New  York. 
Seabury,  Underbill,  and  Fowler,  three  of  the  dastardly  protesters  against  the  proceedings 
of  the  Continental  Congress,  and  who  it  is  believed  had  concerted  a  plan  for  kidnapping 
Capt.  Sears,  and  conveying  him  on  board  of  the  Asia  man-of-war,  are  (with  the  types  and 
arms)  safely  lodged  in  this  town :  where  it  is  expected  Lord  Underbill  will  have  leisure  to 
form  the  scheme  of  a  lucrative  lottery,  the  tickets  of  which  cannot  be  coimlerfeited ;  and 
Parson  Seabury  sufficient  time  and  opportunity  i  •  compose  sermons  for  the  next  Continent, 
al  Fast." 


After  the  Americans  were  defeated  on  Long  Island,  Aueust  36, 
1776,  New  York  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British  troops,  who  kept 
possecsion  of  it  during  the  revolutionary  war.  The  annexed  account 
of  the  military  movements  on  New  York  island  is  from  Colonel 
Humphrey's  Life  of  General  Putnam. 

**  The  unfortunate  battle  of  Long  Island,  the  masterly  retreat  from 
thence,  and  the  actual  passage  of  part  of  the  hostile  fleet  in  the  East 
river,  above  the  town,  preceded  the  evacuation  of  New  York.  A 
promotion  of  four  major-generals,  and  six  brigadiers,  had  previously 
oden  made  by  congress.  After  the  retreat  from  Long  Island,  the 
main  army,  consisting,  for  the  moment,  of  sixty  battalions,  of  which 
twenty  were  continental,  the  residue  levies  and  militia,  was,  conform- 
ably to  the  exigencies  oi'  the  service,  rather  than  to  the  rules  of  war, 
formed  into  fourteen  brigades.  Major-general  Putnam  commanded 
the  right  gVand  division  of  five  brigades,  the  Majors-general  Spencer 
and  Greene  the  centre  of  sik  brigades,  and  Major-general  Heath  the 
left,  which  was  posted  near  Kingsbridge,  and  composed  of  two 
brigades.  The  wnole  neVei*  amounted  to  twenty  thousand  effective 
men ;  while  the  British  and  German  forces,  under  Sir  William  Howe, 
exceeded  twenty-two  thousand ;  indeed,  the  minister  had  asserted  in 
parliament  that  they  would  consist  of  more  than  thirty  thousand. 
Our  two  centre  divisions,  both  commanded  by  General  Spencer,  in 
the  sickness  of  General  Greene,  moved  towards  Mount  Washington, 
Harlaem  heights,  and  Horn's  hook,  as  soon  as  the  final  resolution 
was  takai  iji  a  council  of  war,  on  the  12th  of  September,  to  abandon 


after. 


I«W  YOEK   OOVHTT. 


171 


««  i?^S^u^^  *^®,**S'  *e  Bntish,  after  sending  three  ship*  of  war 

a^Jvf- '"'^*'  ""^^f'  *°  B'«T'"8'^?'^'  "^^  keepingV  for  some  ho™ 
a  severe  cannonade  on  our  hnes,  from  those  alrefdy  in  the  East  rivw^ 

?^tt  hi"  ^T'  "'  ^T^%  li^y-.  .^"^  "«^  levies/ commanded  by  a 
state  brieadier-eeneral,  fled  without  making  resistance.    Two  bri- 

A^-  °^^jf»«'''^^  Putnam's  division,  ordered  to  thei,-  support,  notwith- 
?hi^?'E?J*'tf'T'°''  °^  *^^''  brigadiers,  and  of  the  commander-in- 
thl  L  J.?  f  'I'?  ''^'"®  "P  ?l  *^^  '"'*^"t,  conducted  themselves  in 
the  same  shameful  manner.    His  excellency  then  ordered  the  heights 

thp  V  ;  T'  ^  '^''''"^  P^''*^*""'  ^°  ^®  occupied.  Thither  the  forces  in 
&I  /"p^;  ^'  ^4'  ^«  the  fugitives,  repaired.  In  the  mean  time! 
farv  l^?*""'  '^■^^!:^^  remainder  of  his  command,  and  the  oSt 
bPafn  tJ^'*';  "^^V"  *t^  *='*y-  ^^*^'  ^*^'ng  ^^aused  the  brigades  to 
begin  their  retreat  by  the  route  of  Bloomin|dale,  in  order  to  avo  d 

to  SLi'  T'  *^f  'V^'  possession^of  the  main  roa^leaXg 
Hnvin^^^  FA  *»e  ga'  oped  to  call  off  the  pickets  and  guards. 
Having  myself  been  a  volunteer  in  his  division,  aSd  acting  adiStsS  to 

iav  of  belfS  h-"*  Y'  V^'^^*^'  ^  ^^^  fr^^"^"*  onpoifunSrthS 
,^fn„  tK  r  "^^'"'  ^°'"  ^^^  pu^PO"®  «*■  issuing  ordeVs,  and  encour- 
aging  the  troops,  flying,  on  his  horse  covered  with  foamV^herever 
his  presence  was  most  necessary.  Without  his  extraorXiarl  S^ 
tions,  the  guards  must  have  been  inevitably  lost,  and  iuS  p7oSe 

Sfrom  Ri;T-  ""Tl^  ^'""'-^T  ^"*  ^"  P'^^^"-    When  we  rrTn^ 
far  from  Bloommgdale,  an  aid-de-camp  capie  from  him  at  full  sneed 
to  inform  that  a  column  of  British  infantry  was  descrdinVuponS 
n^ht    Our  rear  was  soon  fired  upon,  and  %  colonel  of  ouf  reSment 
7}  2  order  was  just  communicated  for  the  front  to  file  o^to  the 

ItrTrkTrt^e^iStrgKf  H^^^^^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^^^^  ^^«  -^ 

by  which  we  escaped,  that  the  instant  we  had  passed,  the  enem? 
IT^  ''  by  extending  their  line  from  river  to  riyer.  oir  me^X 
teriar^hin  '"  ^°"''  ""^"''  ""T''  *^^^^«««d  by  marching  and  c^un^ 
Sp^kA  ^;'"  consequence  of  incessant  alarms,  exhausted  as  they 
were  by  heat  and  thirst,   for  the  day  proved  ipsupportably  hot  and 

wLTthr/'^T'^'"^,'  i«s«^^"'h,^hat  some  Td  at  L  brooks 
where  tluev  drank,)  it  attacked,  could  have  made  but  feeble  resistance, 
mo/^k'  r.u  ^^'g*^*  our  soldiers,  excessively  fatigued  by  the  sultry 
march  of  the  day  their  clothes  wet  by  a  severe  sLwer  of  rain  hat 
succeeded  towards  the  evening,  their  blood  cWlled  by  the  c^ld  wind 

Se^?p°«Hf  **  l'"-l^"  H*^""«t  '"  '^^  temperature  of  the  air^^d 
their  hearts  sunk  within  them  by  the  loss  of  baggage,  artillery  Md 
works  m  which  they  had  been  taught  to  put  gf fat^  confiS  ky 
upon  their  arms,  covered  only  by  thiclouds  of  a|  uncomttabL'sk/ 

•  •  -n^rouTfr^  ?l^TiP!!!i?.:?L!^,^!»-yj^pp--^^^^^^ 


172 


NEW   YORK   COUNTY. 


Lieutenant-colonel  Knowlton's  rangers,  a  fine  selection  from  the 
eastern  regiments,  who  had  been  skirmishing  with  an  advanced  par- 
ty, came  m,  and  informed  the  general  that  a  body  of  British  were 
under  cover  of  a  small  eminence  at  no  considerable  distance.  His 
excellency,  willing  to  raise  our  men  from  their  dejection  by  the  splen- 
dor of  some  litde  success,  ordered  Lieuteuant-colonel  Knowlton,  with 
his  rangers,  and  Major  Leitch,  with  three  companies  of  Weedon's 
regiment  of  Virginians,  to  gain  their  rear ;  while  appearances  should 
be  made  of  an  attack  in  front.  As  soon  as  the  enemy  saw  the  party 
sent  to  decoy  them,  they  ran  precipitately  down  the  hill,  took  pos- 
session of  some  fences  and  bushes,  and  commenced  a  brisk  firing  at 
long-shot  Unfortunately,  Knowlton  and  Leitch  made  their  onsft 
rather  in  flank  than  in  rear.  The  enemy  changed  their  front,  and 
the  skirmish  at  once  became  close  and  warm.  Major  Leitch  having 
received  three  balls  through  his  side,  was  soon  borne  from  the  field ; 
and  Colonel  Knowlton,  who  had  distinguished  himself  so  gallantly  at 
the  battle  of  Bunkerhill,  was  mortally  wounded  immediately  after. 
Their  men,  however,  undaunted  by  these  disasters,  stimulated  with 
the  thirst  of  revenge  for  the  loss  of  their  leaders,  and  conscious  of 
acting  under  the  eye  of  the  commander-in-chief,  maintained  the  con- 
flict with  uncommon  spirit  and  perseverance.  But  the  general,  seeing 
them  in  need  of  support,  advanced  part  of  the  Maryland  regiments 
of  Griffith  and  Richardson,  together  with  some  detachments  from 
such  eastern  corps  as  chanced  to  be  most  contiguous  to  the  place  of 
action.    Our  troops  this  day,  vvrithout  exception,  behaved  with  the 

greatest  intrepidity.  So  bravely  did  they  repulse  the  British,  that 
ir  William  Howe  moved  his  reserve,  with  two  field-pieces,  a  battal- 
ion of  Hessian  grenadiers,  and  a  company  of  Chasseurs,  to  succor  his 
retreating  troops.  General  Washington,  not  willing  to  draw  on  a 
general  action,  declined  pressing  the  pursuit.  In  this  engagement 
were  the  second  and  third  battalions  of  light  infantrv,  the  forty-second 
British  regiment,  and  the  German  Chasseurs,  of  whom  eight  officers, 
and  upwards  of  seventy  privates  were  wounded,  and  our  people 
buried  nearly  twenty,  who  were  left  dead  on  the  field.  We  had 
about  forty  wounded ;  our  loss  in  killed,  except  of  two  valuable  offi- 
cers, was  very  inconsiderable. 

*•  An  advantage  so  trivial  in  itself  produced,  in  event,  a  surprising 
FT>,d  almost  incredible  effect  upon  the  whole  army.  Amongst  the 
troops  not  epgaged,  who,  during  the  action,  were  throwing  earth 
from  the  new  trenches,  with  an  alacrity  that  indicated  a  determina- 
tion to  defend  them,  every  visage  was  seen  to  brighten,  and  to  as- 
sume, instead  of  the  gloom  of  despair,  the  glow  of  animation.  This 
change,  no  less  sudden  than  happy,  left  little  room  to  doubt  that  the 
men,  who  ran  the  day  before  at  the  sight  of  an  enemy,  would  now, 
to  wipe  away  the  stain  of  that  disgrace,  and  to  recover  the  confidence 
of  their  general,  have  conducted  themselves  in  a  very  different  man- 


ner. 

The  fbllowin"  is 
tember,  1776. 


M r*  Grim's  account  of  the  "reat  fire- 

^ 


21st  of  Sen- 


HKW   YOBK   COUNTY. 

1  The  fire  of  1776  conunenced  in  a  amaU  wooden  houM.  on  the  wharf  near  A.  Dm.!- 
M  dip.  It  was  then  occupied  by  a  number  of  men  and  w'omen.  ofTbS  cffacSr^ 
fire  began  late  at  night.    There  being  but  a  very  few  inhahhlnto.  5nA- !?.     ^      P* 

Si\e3irTs'°"j'^-  ''•'"r'l  '^*:z;:roSe^«t'\i"eof  w^^ 

and  the  weet  aide  of  Broad^treet  to  BeavcMtreet.    A  orovidnntial  .nH  k™./  ."""■"  '"P* 
occurred  at  thi.  time;  the  wind  waethen  eouSw^teVly'    Abo„^^^^ 
Jidbu^Jwi'-^'H**"*'  this  carried  the  flame,  of  the  fiTtrAe  So74we.S 
^i^ri^anT^^^^ 

couie  Ji^  .„'h  t^  ""*  '"^^  """V  «°.'  '"'''  Mortkile^itreet.  now  Kajj^eet     ThS 

iTd'o^^:'  'fenTrJi^htebS  tj  °'  *^  ""^  "V  T  «"'* »«  thirawfulTnd 
feU  on  the  eouA  side  ofThe  Zf     Thf  JJ.T^'  '^!«/5««««''«d  by  the  flakes  of  fire  that 

time  to  an  amSnrWMe  an^  ksol  h™  '^^1?^  '^"""'^  *°^  ^"^^^  "^ «'«  '»  «  "h"" 
the  roof  of  thisl^^bleeTficrbei'i^  so  «LXr  °^ '"""'"  '?7"  ^  extinguish  the  same, 
was  in  the  Uke  peSoii Sati^  'n^A-  T?"  "^"J'*  i"  "^  ''•  »'•  P'"^'''  church 
number  of  (he  citizM«  wpn.  nnT  j  ''*'"■'«  <^"/'  *"*  «  balustrade  on  the  eavea.  a 

the  roof.  ThuXTuyTai^L  beSd  ctf  ^^^  '\^'^''  "^ ««  "  ^'"y  ^U^" 
ful  fire,  which  threaL'^nf  "uin  AW  S  ZtifT  *J>f^,«»'^'='io«  "f  this  dread. 

^tiL^rfr^r^^^rrK^^^^^^^ 

at  night  in  the  streets,  for  fear  of  beinff  taken  nn  «  J?.™-  "'^  ^  ^''"'  ■'™"'  to  venture 
knowledge  occurred.  A  m"  W&  H«r«„?..v  "^P'^T  P*"""*'  -^  '""tance  to  my 
lent  a  kyalist,  aVd  latSrirhad  addlcL^  hZ«Tf  "i""'*  house-carpcnter,  rether  too  vil 
hanged  on  a  ta'vern  s  gnS.  at  the  corner  rf  Chll°  S  r'  """•  ?"  *"  "«'''  "^  *«  «"• 
citizen,  were  sent  to  AeTrovost  ^larTf"  e«min^o^t?HT"''''^''r '^    ^""'"^  "^  *« 

York*^;  attars  a^\\SrnTnU^fi3^Urat^^^^^  T^^^"^'  ^- 
on  the  21st  of  September  1776  Vnrt  qn'^^A.  f  ""'e  broad,  contaimng,  before  the  fire, 
inhabitants."    "^P**"""'  "7«'' ""»«» *»  «f  August,  1778,  about  4,200  houses,  and  30,000 

J^erySk  city.         '  ^*''''''  ^^^^^'^^^  °^  ^^J'i^**  Times  in 

thrwS  £mZ,'iru?driiSr:rpjr        ♦«  ''vr"'^'''  ••"-  -^ 

carious  refuge  where  they  couK  tr/oS^'  Ont  5?k^V"j*'T**  1°"^^^ 

caused  bv  the  force  of  ihShr^«kin„.K^  ^"^"V".  r '^  "  ^^y*  ^  *« '«™  of  «  crescent 
closed  up  in  thr^ar  VSie  £t  wh«^  fil  ?k!.  '"^"^'^  ''"^°^  ^°"'  '^'^^  «»«.    They  aU 
"  All  th„  P^i^fl^L-i."!^!.' *'!«",?''  thevessels  opened  a  heavy  cannonade. 


r.:i;;  o^^'^^'it^.if iFS£-- w^^^^^     <»  ■- 


other  churches.     .  ..„ 
be  zealous  to  nromota  _ 

few  m  number,  werede...!  ,oyalists.chiefly  fi^m  'the"  i;;i;:nToXrorth;ffindS 


to 
then 


Hxw  YORK  ooimrr. 


Mr.  Wtdaf.  Periiaps  to  thi*  cauM  it  tnu  that  the  todety  in  Jolin  BtrMt  ti^ayti  to  mnoh 
tadulgence  u  to  occupy  tlieir  clturcli  for  Sunday  night  aeiviee,  whUe  Hit  HeMiana  had  it  in 
tile  morning  aervice  for  their  own  ciuplaina  and  people. 

«  The  British  troops  were  quartered  in  any  empty  houses  of  the 
Whigs  which  might  be  found.  Wherever  men  were  billeted,  they 
marked  it 

"  The  middle  Dutch  church  in  Nassau-street,  was  used  to  imprison 
8,000  Americans.  The  pews  were  all  gutted  out  and  used  as  fuel. 
Afterward  they  used  it  ior  the  British  cavalry,  wherein  they  exer- 
cised their  men,  as  a  riding  school ;  making  them  leap  over  raised 
windlasses.  At  the  same  place  they  often  picketed  their  men,  as  a 
punishment,  mating  them  bear  their  weight  on  their  toe  on  a  sharp 

§oad.  At  the  same  place,  while  the  prisoners  remamed  there,  Mr. 
Ludrew  Mercein  told  me  he  used  to  see  the  *  dead  cart'  come  every 
morning,  to  bear  off  six  or  eight  of  the  dead.  The  old  sugar-house, 
which  also  adjoined  to  this  church,  was  filled  with  the  prisoners  taken 
at  Long  Island ;  there  they  suffered  much,  they  bemg  kept  in  an 
almost  starved  condition.  This  starving  proceeded  Irom  different 
motives ;  they  wished  to  break  the  spirit  of  the  prisoners,  and  tQ 
cause  their  desertion,  or  to  make  the  war  unwelcome  to  their  friends 
at  home.  On  some  occasions,  as  I  shall  herein  show,  the  British 
themselves  were  pinched  for  supplies ;  and  on  other  occasions  the 
commissar!  js  had  their  own  gain  to  answer,  by  withholding  what 
they  could  from  the  prisoners.  I  could  not  find,  on  inquiry,  that 
Americans  in  New  York  were  allowed  to  help  their  countrymen 
unless  by  stealth.  I  was  told  by  eye-witnesses  of  cases,  where  the 
wounded  came  crawling  to  the  openings  in  the  wall,  and  begging 
only  for  one  cup  of  water,  and  could  not  be  indulged,  the  sentinels 
saying,  we  are  sorry  too,  but  our  orders  have  been, '  suffer  no  com- 
munication in  the  absence  of  your  officer.' 

*•  The  north  Dutch  church  in  William-street  was  entirely  gutted  of 
its  pews,  and  made  to  hold  2,U00  prisoners.  The  Quaker  meeting  in 
Pearl-street  was  converted  into  an  hospital.  The  old  French  church 
was  used  as  a  prison.  Mr.  Thomas  Swords  told  me  they  used  to 
bury  the  prisoners  on  the  mount,  then  on  the  corner  of  Grace  and 
Lumber  streets.    It  was  an  old  redoubt. 

"  Cunningham  was  infamous  for  his  cruelty  to  the  prisoners,  even 
depriving  them  of  life,  it  is  said,  for  the  sake  of  cheating  his  king  and 
country  by  continuing  for  a  time  to  draw  their  nominal  rations !  The 
prisoners  at-  the  Provost,  (the  present  debtors'  prison  in  the  Park,) 
were  chiefly  under  his  severity,  (my  father  among  the  number  for  a 
time.)  It  was  said  he  Was  only  restrained  from  putting  them  to 
death,  (fi^ve  or  six  of  them  of  a  night,  back  of  the  prison-yard,  where 
were  also  their  graves,)  by  the  distress  of  certain  women  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, who,  pained  by  the  cries  for  mercy  which  they  heard,  went 
to  the  commander-in-chief,  and  made  the  case  known,  with  entreaties 
to  spare  their  lives  in  future.  This  unfeeling  wretch,  it  is  said,  came 
afterward  to  an  ignominious  end,  being  executed  in  England,  as  was 
published  in  Hall  and  Sellers'  paper  In  Philadelphia.    It  was  there 


WIW  YOtM.  OODNTT. 


175 


31  no  com- 


said,  that  It  came  out  on  the  trial  that  he  boasted  of  having  kiUed 
more  of  the  king «  enemies  by  the  use  of  his  own  means  tfiin  had 
been  effected  by  the  king's  arms  !-he  having,  as  it  was  there  stated, 
used  a  preparation  of  arsenic  in  their  flour ! 

.  A  ^"i"*'  °"?/''®'  commissary  of  prisoners,  was  quite  another  man. 
•J^^'^  %  pretty  good  name.    Mr.  Lennox,  the  other,  being  now  a 
resident  of  New  York,  I  forbear  any  remarks.  * 

*hi  V'^'^A  p"  T""!"  '■*'^^'"«  ?  V*^  ^'^y  ^y  ^^^  ^^^^^^  «*  times,  in 
this.  Lord  Rawdons  corps  and  the  king's  guards  were  said  to  have 
beenpre-eminent.  "«*»o 

r."i  J  ?"*w  D^*,T*  J!"®  «f  intrenchments  quite  across  from 
Coriear's  hook  to  Bunker's  hill,  on  the  Bowery  road,  and  placed  S 
across  the  road  there.  The  Hessians.  under^Knyphausen^werf  en! 
camped  on  a  mount  not  far  from  Coriear's  hook. 

nf  "th.^hnv"^'"  ^•^'*'T'  Z^^°  "^^^  P'^^^"* '"  New  York  when  most 
of  the  above-mentioned  things  occurred,  has  told  me  several  facts 
He  was  an  apprentice  with  a  baker  who  made  bread  for  the  armv 
and  states,  that  there  was  a  time  when  provisions,  even  to  their  own 
solchery,  was  very  hmited.  For  instance,  on  the  occasion  of  t^ 
Cork  provision  fleet  over-stayin^  their  time,  he  has  dealt  out  sil 
rZirTW^T  M*^"  ^^'"W^^d  them,  for  *  a  hard  half  do£r 
a-piece !  The  baker  then  gave  $20  a  cwt.  for  his  flour.  They  had 
to  make  oatmeal  bread  for  the  navy.  Often  he  has  seen  7*.  TlZd 
given  for  butter,  when  before  the  war  it  was  but  2d  ^ 

"  When  Cornwallis  was  in  difficulties  at  Yorktown,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  send  h,m  out  all  possible  help,  they  took  the  citizens  by 
constramt  and  enrolled  them  as  a  militia.  *^In  this  service  Mr.  Mer^ 
cem  was  also  compelled,  and  had  to  take  his  turns  at  the  fort.  There 
they  mounted  guard,  &c.  in  military  attire,  just  lent  to  them  for  the 
time  and  required  to  be  returned.  The  nSn-commissioned  offices 
were  generally  chosen  as  Tories,  but  often  without  that  conditio" 
J!  ;5rr?»f  '^''^^^''^  ^^'  ^^  V^  «"°"S^  to  have  surrendered  if 

"It  was  really  an  affecting  sight  to  see  the  operations  of  the  final 
departure  of  aU  the  king's  embarkation;  the  ro^  band  beat  a  fa?^ 
well  march.  Then  to  see  so  many  of  our  countrymen,  with  their 
women  and  children,  leaving  the  la^ds  of  their  fatS  b;cTuse  they 
took  the  kings  side,  eoing  thence  to  the  bleak  and  barren  soil  o? 
Nova  Scotia,  was  at  least  affecting  to  them.  Their  hearts  sail '  My 
country,  with  all  thjr  faults  I  love  thee  still.'  «»«"«"",  my 

"In  contrast  to  this,  there  followed  the  entry  of  our  tattered  and 
weather-beaten  troops,  followed  by  all  the  citizens  in  regulw  pfatooM. 


"•Oh!  one 
Were  worth 


'  such  a  weleome  sight, 
whole  eternity  of  leaser  yean.' 


-Then  crowded  home  to  their  own  city,  all  those  who  had  been 


176 


NBW  TOBK  COUNTY. 


**  The  Hessian  troops  were  peculiarly  desirous  to  desert  so  as  to 
remain  in  our  country,  and  hid  themselves  in  every  family  where  they 
could  possibly  secure  a  friend  to  help  their  escape. 

** . . .  Captain  Graydon  of  Philadelphia,  who  has  left  us  amusing 
and  instructive  memoirs  of  sixty  years  of  his  observing  life,  having 
been  nmong  the  officers  and  men  (2,000)  captured  at  Fort  Washmg- 
ton  near  I^w  York,  and  held  prisoners,  has  left  us  many  instructive 
pages  concerning  the  incidents  at  New  York  while  held  by  the  Brit- 
ish, which  ought  to  be  read  by  all  those  who  can  feel  any  interest  in 
such  domestic  history  as  I  have  herein  endeavored  to  preserve. 

"  After  our  capture,  (says  he,)  we  were  committed,  men  and  offi- 
cers, to  the  custody  of  young  and  insolent  officers ;  we  were  acain 
and  again  taunted  as  *  cursed  rebels,'  and  that  we  should  all  be 
hanged.  Repeatedly  we  were  paraded,  and  every  now  and  then 
one  and  another  of  us  was  challenged  among  our  officers  as  deserters  ; 
affecting  thereby  to  consider  their  common  men  as  good  enough  for 
our  ordinary  subaltern  officers.  Unfortunately  for  our  pride  and 
self-importance,  among  those  so  challenged  was  here  and  there  a 
subject  fitted  to  their  jibes  and  jeers.  A  little  squat  militia  officer, 
from  York  county,  with  dingy  clothes  the  worse  for  wear,  was  ques- 
tioned with  ♦  What,  sir,  is  your  rank  V  when  he  answered  in  a  chuff 
and  firm  tone,  ♦  a  keppun,  sir ;'  an  answer  producing  an  immoderate 
laugh  among  *  the  haughty  Britons.'  There  was  also  an  unlucky 
militia  trooper  of  the  same  school,  with  whom  the  officers  were 
equally  merry,  obliging  him  to  amble  about  for  their  entertainment 
on  his  old  jade,  with  his  odd  garb  and  accoutrements.  On  being 
asked  what  were  his  duties,  he  simply  answered, '  it  was  to  flank  a 
little  and  bear  tidings* 

**  At  this  beginning  period  of  the  war,  most  things  on  the  American 
side  were  coarse  and  rough.  Maryland  and  Philadelphia  county  put 
forward  young  gentlemen  as  officers  of  gallant  bearmg  and  demean- 
or ;  but  New  England,  and  this,  then  seat  of  war,  was  very  deficient 
in  such  material.  In  many  cases  subaltern  officers  at  least  could 
scarcely  be  distinguished  from  their  men  other  than  by  their  cock- 
ades. It  was  not  uncommon  for  colonels  to  make  drummers  and 
fifers  of  their  sons.  Among  such  the  eye  looked  around  in  vain  for 
the  leading  gentry  of  the  country.  General  Putnam  could  be  seen 
ridine  about  in  his  shirt  sleeves.  With  his  hanger  over  his  open  vest: 
and  Colonel  Putnam,  his  nephew,  did  not  disdain  to  carry  his  own 
piece  of  meat,  saying,  as  his  excuse,  *  it  will  show  our  officers  a  good 
lesson  of  humility.' 

"...  The  American  officera  took  fiill  latitude  of  their  parole,  in  traverring  the  Btreeta  in 
■11  directionB  with  a  good  deal  of  purpeeed  assurance.  One  of  them,  on  one  occasion, 
wearing  his  beat  uniform,  \^  »he  great  gaxe  and  wonderment  of  many,  actually  ventured 
disdainfolly  to  pass  the  coffee  house,  then  the  general  resort  of  the  British  officers.  At 
other  times,  when  the  Kolch  water  was  frozen  over,  and  was  covered  with  British  officers, 
who  thought  themselves  proficients  in  skating,  it  was  the  malicious  pleasure  of  some  of  our 
officers  to  appear  and  eclipse  them  all.  The  officers  occasionally  met  with  cordial  civilities 
and  genteel  entertunment  fix>m  British  officeia  with  whom  they  came  in  contact;  for,  in 


»»W   YOW:   COUNTT. 


177 


S3i's":ss^'i?sSe«:?. """  "•'  ^'*'  '''-•  ^•-  ^^  ^<n^m^ 

"...  The  randence  of  Adminl  Kgby,  and  indeed  of  «11  naval  officen  of  diatini>di»  mm. 
nvuig  on  the  mtion  wa.  Beekn-n'.  houae,  on  the  northweat  00^^!  sSSSSTaS 
gnover jjquwe.  There  dwelt,  under  the  B^^nrtl^t^Bauif  of  Adm^d^by,  SS!rmuSi 
S^A  '"'  i""*  °^  ^"«'"''-u  ^'>*'  w-ocS.  of  idea  mTbiVXoad  Si 
mmda  of  thaw  who  can  atill  remember  when  he  walked  the  atreeta  of  NewYork  S  ^ 
common  garb  of  a  midahipman'a  'roundabouV  or  when  they  aaw  hSa  luioclTeiJ^eed  iS 
joinmgtheboyainakatinjontheKolchpond!"  ww  •  luiocMtwuieed  lad. 

The  anneied  ia  a  deacription  of  aome  of  the  principal  BritiBh  officera.  "Sir  William 
S^  d:i',^' Sr^ilh'^^'  "^^  -^t  "^-^'y  -ell  propSoZ.    In'SS'S 

^  b^^n?  "f?  *'^'  """^  """"'  P^'r *'•  ■"*•  '*"'  expreaaion  of  hia  countenwc^M 
pL«?.T^  ^  .^  "T'".  ''*"■''  Poliahed,  graceful,  and  dignified.  He  hved  at  N 
Pnme'ahouae,  a  the  aouth  end  of  Broadway,  near  the  battery.  "  "* 

♦elliiwnt  coZSi"'"''  T  v*"*  *"''  ^''^''V'^  *  ^""^"*=«'  prominent  nose,  and  animated  in- 
fit  thM  Hnw^f*'  /?  ^  .""""'"'  '»*'  -"  ?<»''♦«  »"d  courtly,  bu    mote  formS  JTd 

He'K  Sl^Ill?' '"  ^'~"  """  ■''i"?  "'"'  *J«''^  ««»• «»«  not  "o  corpulent  aa  Sir  Henrr 

••  Tarleton  waa  below  the  middle  aize,  atout,  stronp,  heavilv  made  with  l.».  i-~  k  . 
uncommonly  active.    Hia  eye  was  email    black,  and  pierSjTa  fa^e  am^I^Sd  hi. 

w«.„„.n?A    ^Tk^^''''"  afterward  gained  ao  much  eclat  in  Egypt,  where  he  fell 


CAPT.   NATHAN  HALE. 
"  Thia  eminent  martyr  to  American  liberty  was  the  son  of  Deacon  Richant  H.u  ^ 

Vn^'^'iT.'  "•""!.''•'  "".'^IS '"^«  «'  "^S '  -"d  ^S^ateTafyKSS;  ij 
.  I  iL-  *^*'"'^"  ?'.  ««•""».  ta«le,  and  ardor,  he  early  became  distimruished  a«  a  3« 
and  being  endowed  in  an  eminent  degree  w  th  those  gifts  mA  Sc^wSch  ^J^^A^l 

hT'SartSJf *"•'"*"*'•''',*'''  «5''«'''  *-  respfctardcSd'nlSal'ASkJe: 
hk^UT^i^Kif r  P"""P';',r''  ^•'^usiaatic  in  a  cause  which  appealed  ejufir  J 
f    ■•°?!™  J™'><=e  *nd  his  love  of  hberty,  he  was  among  the  first  to  take  ud  «rn?.  in  w- 
fence  of  hia  country  whoee  soil  had  been  invaded  by  a  hostile  forcrwd  iS  dtiM,S,ui 
Hnt'^^TTJ"^  determined  r««»te„ce  or  huJiliating  ,ubZ^^  XlK  cinS 

a"d  cmX  'HiS'!!«^'h^"'h  I^*•'""T^»"  -"«  <«def  rare  circumstalJesS  tSSZ 
ana  cruelty,    tm  case  has  been  deemed  parallel  with  that  of  Mnin,  a^a^      "•««(«utiy 

S'tisr 'ST*"  "t-e  of  *e  -rvi^cHli  Tdfnn^i^'fiotL^ll^jLStSl'r 
toAi^ty°T'!""'V  ""'"fo' his  king,  the  other  forhis  country;  and  eSfeU  a  viSS 

nKnSr    i^'*'*'™'".""'^'P"'^*='P'''*"«     tbeaame  spirit,  submitted  to  asystemof  dicT 

came  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance,  in  the  oninion  of  th^rlmfn^tT^u^r  ll  ^ 
«r«an  ««  auffl«»al  Ibice  and  contemplatwl  opentiona  of  the  en^i^  f^r  on  ^  too^" 

23 


178 


HBW   YOBK   COUNTY. 


*«d«  depended  the  safety  of  the  American  army,  and  perhape  the  naUon  abo.    A  conndl 
rfofficera  was  assembled,  and  resulted  in  a  determination  to  send  some  one  competent  to 
\he  task  into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  camp,  and  Colonel  Knowlton  was  charged  with  the 
eelecdon  of  an  individual  to  perform  the  deUcate  and  haaardous  service.    On  being  inform, 
ed  of  the  tiews  and  wishes  of  Washington,  Hale,  without  hesitation,  volunteered  his  ser. 
vices,  saying  that  he  did  not  accept  a  commission  for  fame  alone ;  that  he  had  been  some, 
time  in  thVarmy  without  being  able  thus  for  to  render  any  signal  aid  to  his  country;  and 
that  he  now  felt  impelled,  by  high  comiiderations  of  duty,  to  peril  his  life  in  a  cause  of  so  vital 
importance  when  an  opportunity  presented  itself  of  being  useful.    The  arguraenUi  of  hui 
friends  were  unavaiUng  to  dissuade  him  from  the  undertaking ;  and  having  disguised  him- 
self  as  weU  as  he  could,  he  left  his  quarters  at  Harlaem  Heights,  and  having  an  order  from 
the  commander-in-chief  to  oU  the  American  armed  vessehi  to  convey  him  to  any  PO}nt  which 
he  should  designate,  he  was  enabled  to  cross  the  sound  from  Fairfield  to  Long  Wand,  and 
arrived  at  Funtington  about  the  middle  of  September,  1776.    When  he  reached  Brooklyn, 
the  British  army  had  taken  possession  of  New  York.    He  examined  with  the  utmost  cau. 
tion  the  fortifications  of  the  enemy,  and  ascertained  as  far  as  possible  their  number,  poei. 
Uon.  and  future  intentions ;  and  having  satisfactorily  accomplished  the  objects  of  his  mission, 
he  axain  reached  Huntington  for  the  purpose  of  re-crossing  the  sound.    While  waiting  for 
a  passage,  a  boat  came  on  shore,  which  he  at  finit  supposed  to  be  from  Connecticut,  but 
proved  to  be  from  a  British  vessel,  the  Cerberus,  lying  m  the  sound ;  and  on  board  this  boat, 
it  is  said,  was  a  relative  of  Capt.  Hale,  a  tory  refugee,  who  recognised  and  betrayed  him. 
He  had,as8umed  a  character  which  did  not  belong  to  him,  that  of  pretending  to  be  what  he  was 
not.    That  he  was  a  spy,  could  no  longer  be  concealed,  and  he  was  immediately  sent  to 
General  Howe  at  New  York.    Here  the  parallel  between  his  case  and  that  ot  Andre  ceases 
The  latter  was  allowed  time  and  an  impartial  trial  before  officers  of  honorable  rank  and 
character,  and  his  last  moments  were  soothed  by  tenderness  and  sympathy.    Not  so  with 
•the  former;  he  was  delivered  into  the  possession  of  the  infamous  provost-marshal,  t^un- 
ningham,  and  ordered  immediately  for  execution,  without  even  the  formahty  of  a  trial 
The  order  was  performed  in  a  brutal  manner  on  the  twenty-first  of  September,  177t>,  and 
his  body  was  buried  on  the  spot  where  he  breathed  his  last.    He  was,  indeed,  permitted  to 
consecrate  a  few  previous  momenta  in  writing  to  his  family  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  work  ot 
death  was  done,  even  this  testimony  of  affection  and  patriotism  was  destroyed,  assigning 
as  the  cause,  •  that  the  rebels  thould  never  know  they  had  a  man  in  thetr  army  who  could 
die  with  tuchfirmnete:    In  this  t.ying  hour  the  use  of  a  bible  and  the  attendance  ot  a 
minister,  which  he  desired,  were  also  denied  him.    Thus  unknown  to  those  around  him, 
with  no  eye  to  pity,  or  a  voice  to  administer  consolation,  fell  one  of  the  most  noble  and 
amiable  youths  which  America  could  boast ;  with  this  his  dying  observation,  •<*«<  he  only 
lamenUd  he  had  but  one  life  to  lose  for  hit  country.'    Though  the  manner  of  his  executton 
will  be  abhorred  by  every  friend  of  humanity,  yet  there  cannot  be  a  quesUon  but  that  the 
sentence  of  death  was  conformable  to  the  practice  of  all  civilized  nations.    It  is,  however, 
but  common  justice  to  the  character  of  Captain  Hale  to  state,  that  his  moUves  for  engaging 
in  this  service  were  entirely  different  from  those  which  sometimes  influence  others  in  like 
cases.    Neither  expectation  of  promotion  or  pecuniary  reward  induced  the  attempt.    A 
high  sense  of  public  duty,  and  a  hope  of  being  in  this  way  useful  to  his  country,  and  the 
opinion  which  he  had  adopted,  that  every  kind  of  service  became  honorable  by  being  ne. 
cessary,  were  the  motives  which  prompted  him  to  this  hazardous,  and,  to  him,  fatal  enter- 
prise.   To  see  such  an  one,  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  influenced  by  Uie  purest  intentions,  and 
emulous  of  doing  good  to  his  beloved  country,  fall  a  victim  to  die  policy  of  nations,  must 
have  been  wounding  even  to  the  feelings  of  his  enemies.  .... 

"  Among  other  causes  of  distress  in  1776,  the  want  of  provisions  and  clothing  was  se- 
verely felt  by  the  American  army.  Just  previous  to  the  battle  of  Long  Island  it  was  as- 
certained  that  an  English  eUtop,  with  supplies  of  these  essential  articles,  had  arrived  m  the 
East  river,  and  lay  there  under  the  protection  of  the  ship  Asia,  of  ninety  guns.  Captain 
Hale  conceived  the  bold  project  of  capturing  this  sloop,  and  bringing  her  into  the  port  of 
New  York,  and  found  a  sufficient  number  of  bold  hearts  and  stout  hands  to  make  Uie  aU 
tempt.  At  an  hour  concerted,  they  passed  in  a  boat  to  a  point  of  land  nearest  the  sloop, 
where  they  lay  till  the  moon  was  down  ;  and  when  all  was  quiet,  except  the  voice  of  the 
watchman  on  the  quauer-deck  of  the  Asia,  they  pulled  for  the  sloop,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
were  on  board.    She  became  their  prize,  and  the  goods  were  distributed  to  those  whg. 

needed  them  in  our  army.  ....  .    ,,         u  oe  u 

"A  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Coventry  and  the  neighboring  towns  was  held  on  the^5th 
of  November,  1836,  at  which  a  society  was  formed  called  the  Hale  MoNtnuENT  Associa. 
TioN,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  measures  to  erect  a  suitable  memorial  to  the  meniory  of 
the  subject  of  tiiia  notice.    An  etoqueul  addreea  was  delivered  on  tiie  occasion,  by  An- 


MBW   YOKK   OOUNTT. 


179 


drew  T.  Jucbon,  Eaq.,  lo  whom  we  are  indebted  for  much  of  the  infomutioo  eontiiiMd  is 
thie  brief  memoir. 

"  The  following  poetical  tribute  to  the  lamented  Hale,  ia  from  the  pen  of  the  late  PimI. 
dent  Dwight : — 

•  Thus,  while  fond  virtue  wished  in  Tain  to  aave, 
Halb,  bright  and  generous,  found  a  haplees  grave ; 
With  geniut?  living  flame  his  boaom  glow'd, 
And  Kience  charmed  him  to  her  sweet  abode ; 
In  loorM's  fair  path,  adventured  far, 
The  pride  of  peace,  and  rising  grace  of  war.' 

"  Aa  yet  no  monument  has  been  erected,  nor  have  his  ashes  ever  been  recovered.  A 
select  committee  cf  congress,  on  the  19th  of  January,  1836,  recommended  an  appropria. 
tion  of  one  thousand  dollars  from  the  treasury  of  the  United  States  towards  carrying  the 
object  into  effect ;  but  no  action  was  ever  had  upon  it  afterward,  and  it  is  much  to  be 
feared  so  praiseworthy  a  design  will  be  suffered  to  sleep,  perhaps  forever."— TAomMon'e 
Hutory  of  Long  hland.  '^ 

The  annexed  account  of  the  evacuation  of  New  York  by  the  Brit- 
ish, and  the  entrance  of  the  American  troops,  under  Washington,  ii 
extracted  from  Thatcher's  Military  Journal. 

**  November  25th,  1783.--The  British  army  evacuated  New  York, 
and  the  American  troops  under  General  Knox,  took  possession  of  the 
city.    Soon  after.  General  Washington  and  Governor  Clinton,  with 
their  suite,  made  their  public  entry  into  the  city  on  horseback,  fol- 
lowed by  the  lieutenant-governor  and  the  members  of  council,  for 
the  temporary  government  of  the  southern  district,  four  abreast; 
General  Knox  and  the  officers  of  the  army,  eight  abreast ;  citizens 
on  horseback,  eight  abreast ;  the  speaker  of  the  assembly  and  citizens 
on  foot,  eight  abreast.    The  governor  gave  a  public  dinner,  at  which 
the  commander-in-chief,  and  other  general  officers  were  present 
The  arrangements  for  the  whole  business  were  so  well  made  and 
executed,  that  the  most  admirable  tranquillity  succeeded  through  the 
day  and  night.     On  Monday  the  governor  gave  an  elegant  enter- 
tainment to  the  French  ambassador,  the  Cheva)ier  de  la  Luzerne ; 
General  Washington,  the  principal  officers  of  New  York  state,  and 
of  the  army,  and  upwards  of  a  hundred  gentlemen  were  present 
Magnificent  fireworks,  infinitely  exceeding  every  thing  of  the  kind 
before  seen  in  the  United  States,  were  exhibited  at  the  Bowling 
Green,  in  Broadway,  on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  m  celebration  of 
the  definitive  treaty  of  peace.     They  commenced  by  a  dove  descend- 
ing with  the  olive  branch,  and  setting  fire  to  a  marron  battery.    On 
Tuesday  noon,  December  4th,  the  principal  officers  of  the  army  as- 
sembled at  Francis'  tavern,  to  take  a  final  leave  of  their  much  loved 
commander-in-chief.    Soon  after,  his  excellency*entered  the  room. 
His  emotions  were  too'  strong  to  be  concealed.    Filling  a  glass,  he 
turned  to  them  and  said,  ♦  With  a  heart  full  of  love  and  gratitude,  I 
now  take  leave  of  you.    I  most  devoutly  wish  that  your  latter  days 
may  be  as  prosperous  and  happy  as  your  former  ones  have  been 
glorious  and  honorable.'    Having  drank,  he  added,  ♦  I  cannot  come 
to  each  of  you  to  take  mv  leave,  but  shall  be  obliged  to  you,  if  each 
of  you  will  come  and  take  me  by  the  hand.'    General  Knox  being 
nearest,  turned  to  him.    Incapable  of  utterance,  Washington,  in  tears. 


180 


new   TOIK   COUNTY. 


gnuiped  hia  hand,  embraced  and  kissed  him.  In  the  same  affection- 
ate  manner  he  took  leave  of  each  succeeding  officer.  In  every  eye 
^vas  the  tear  of  dignified  sensibility ;  and  not  a  word  was  articulated 
to  interrupt  the  eloquent  silence  and  tenderness  of  the  scene.  Leav- 
ing the  room,  he  passed  through  the  corps  of  light  infantry,  and 
walked  to  Whitehall,  where  a  barge  waited  to  convey  him  to  Paulus' 
Hook.  The  whole  company  followed  in  mute  and  solemn  proces- 
sion, with  dejected  countenances,  testifying  feelings  of  delicious  mel- 
ancholy which  no  language  can  describe.  Having  entered  the 
barge  he  turned  to  the  company,  and  waving  his  hat,  bid  them  a  silent 
adieu.  They  paid  him  the  fame  affectionate  compliment,  and  after  the 
barge  had  lefl  them,  returned  in  the  same  solemn  manner  to  the  place 
where  they  had  assembled.  The  passions  of  human  nature  were  never 
more  tenderly  agitated  than  in  this  interesting  and  distressful  scene." 

The  following,  respecting  the  prevalence  of  the  yellow  fever  at 
various  times  in  New  York,  is  from  a  publication  written  by  James 
Hardie,  A.  M.,  printed  in  New  York  in  1822. 

**  The  vellow  fever,  in  our  times,  wu  first  obeerved  in  this  city  in  the  year  1791,  when 
General  Malcolm  and  some  other  very  respectable  citizens  fell  victims  to  its  fury.  The 
late  respectable  Dr.  James  Tillary,  at  a  meetinf  alf  a  number  of  physicians,  explained  the 
■ymptoms  of  the  disease,  described  ila  character,  and  gave  it  its  true  name.  To  all  present, 
excepting  two,  the  doctor  spoke  in  a  language  which  was  past  their  comprehension,  as  he 
had  described  a  disease  which  they  had  never  seen,  and  of  which  they  had  not  the  most 
distant  conception.  But  it  was  well  remembered  by  the  late  venerable  Dr.  John  Carleton 
and  Dr.  Samuel  Bard,  who  had  seen  the  same  fell  destroyer,  spreading  havoc  and  destruc- 
tion in  this  city,  about  forty  years  before  that  period.  Since  that  time,  it  has  repeatedly 
made  its  appearance  amongst  us,  and  every  physician  in  this  city  as  well  as  in  most  other 
maritime  cities  in  the  United  States  has  had  repeated  opportunities  of  seeing  it  and  of  de- 
TiHng,  in  his  own  mind,  what  he  might  deem  the  most  effectual  means  of  its  prevention 
and  cure. 

**  As  the  sickness,  which  occurred  in  the  year  1798,  was  by  far  more  fatal  than  any 
which  has  happened  since  that  time,  I  shall  endeavor  to  give  as  brief  an  account  as  possi. 
Ue  of  its  origin,  progress,  and  termination. 

"  Its  first  victim,  in  all  probability,  was  Mr.  Melancton  Smith,  who  died  on  the  S8tb  or 
99th  of  July,  after  an  illness  of  a  few  days.  His  case  was  said  to  have  been  attended  with 
the  most  malignant  symptoms ;  but  such  was  the  general  opinion  of  the  inhabitants  with 
respect  to  the  healthiness  of  our  city,  that  his  death  excited  little  or  no  alarm.  It  was  be. 
lieved  that  Mr.  Smith  had  been  taken  sick  at  his  store,  in  Front^treet,  near  Coentie8.slip, 
and  a  few  days  after  his  death,  several  persons  were  attacked  with  sickness  in  that  vicinity. 
The  symptoms  of  their  disorders,  however,  appeared  to  be  similar  to  that  of  a  common  cold. 
They  were,  therefore,  negligent  in  obtaining  medical  aid ;  hence  the  disease  got  the  as. 
cendancy  before  they  were  aware  of  their  danger,  and  the  assistance  of  physicians  was 
called  for  when  it  was  too  late. 

"  Whether  any  case  of  pestilential  fever  existed  in  the  earlier  part  of  August,  remote 
from  the  place  where  it  was  believed  to  have  originated,  was  not,  at  the  time,  ascertained 
to  a  certainty ;  but  of  this  there  was  no  doubt,  viz.  that  about  the  30th  of  the  month,  cases 
of  a  highly  malignant  nature  appeared  in  different  parts  of  the  city  on  the  same  day,  and  in 
the  course  of  six  or  eight  days  in  different  streets  very  remote  from  one  another.  In  par. 
ticular,  it  began  to  rage  with  great  violence  at  the  New-slip ;  in  ClifT^treet  and  John.street  ■ 
but  more  especially  in  Rider.8treet  and  Edon's-alley,  where  not  a  family  escaped  it,  nor 
waa  there  a  house,  except  two,  in  which  it  did  not  terminate  fatally  to  one  or  more  indi. 
viduala. 

"  The  Health  Commissioners  began  to  be  apprehensive  respecting  the  appearance  of  this 
pestilence  so  early  as  the  6th  of  August,  on  which  day  they  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
Mayor.  It  was  to  the  following  purport,  viz.  that  '  the  unfinished  state  of  the  docks  in 
F!ront.8treet,  between  Coenties  and  the  Old  slips,  generally,  had  been,  in  their  opinion,  a 
source  of  disease,  in  that  neighborhood,  lost  year,  and  had  occasioned  the  death  of  several 
TBhiable  citizens.    That  ^jiey  cannot  sufficiently  regret  that  they  had  reason  to  renew  their 

1 


; 


I»«r   YOHK   OOUlffTT. 


181 


r«monni.noM  on  diM  ■ul^.at,  Md  ti»t  it.  prewnl  •im.tion  wm  Uktiy  to  b«  ModMlivw  of 
S^if  ^ir^*^'",*?^  *^'r  '•""•'  They  added,  th.i  MvenU  Je«on,  UHcKS 
te  the  n*'«hborhood  of  the..  un«ni.hed  round,  within  .  week,  and  with  iymJtoS  «S 
toi^y  oh.«cteri.tic  of  relow  fever;  .nd  they  recommended  th.t  the  coSiriunca 

rf  A.  «L  T^  »h.en.u.ng  morninjr.  to  concert  meMure.  »J.pfd  to  th.  eme^enej 
m.iU^'«^^  ^"'i  '"7  "heertully  complied  with  thi.  recommendation,  ,tid  Zl 
meuuiM  were  immediately  adopted  a.  were  deemed  moat  likely  to  check  the  irZeTof 

^a^ernor'T::^''!? U  k"'  ''  *'"'  ""^  '"''^  *«  ''•'P  "«'•  «hat  i,  could  neSLTb^Lu 
cated  nor  checked  by  Imman  means.  "•■«•- 

A-'I/hI..'^*  •'?*  '*!''  (^'•'^^•I*™')  the  oommiaaionera  iaaued  an  advertiaemen^  notifying 
jr.«?.^^l^  rir'''"'  "?P??"*«  door.,  ic.  adding  that  the  atreot  iwpecto™  y,7n  di. 
e'ra^t^WS^dlytS?'  ""  ""'"*'  "*  '*"  ''°"'=''  "^  ""'  "«  P'-'^X  ««"-'  offend. 
llA^'lli.*"'  '^'''J  ^^'j*  '"^  *1*  °'  ^"«™»'  *«™  «">"»  '""vy  ahowera  of  rain ;  that  on  th« 

to£vT£^^./i  fw.  u  J''«'.'l"»n".«y*h.ch  fell  during  theae  five  hou«,  wa.  MippoMKi 
i^«     Th.  .f^  .      ^""  '"*'  '!  "ll  ""**  '•"*'"• ''"""«  'he  ..me  .pace  of  time,  for  inany 

h^vmlrj^JL^^Z  '*'"*  geneiaJly  believed,  that  thi.  eiceanre  rain  and  thunder  wouM 
o^ofZdil.±r."h;  f"!  •'f  "'y*o»W..i"  •  few  day,,  be  totally  exempt  from  i^ 
fc!^„  ,K.^  *'.'*'"'" '  ^"'-  •^"  •  o"'  expectationa  were  dreadfully  diaappointed.    It  ia  weU 

We  .  intiS':;r„„?*'K'"KT'^.^  Pl-ccdunng  hot  weather.  wil'Tn  a  few  ;.y..^x. 
luue  a  peatilentia  vapor,  which,  if  it  doea  not  genarate,  will  certainly  propaMta  or  throw 

r„^.  Tn""""?  •»""'•'>'«  d^wo"  di«»"ea  which  have  aSy  mX'dS  "ap^. 
Zl'.nl^J^TW'  ?5«"™ni««f  .'hi.  kind,  the  citizen,  were  «peaLllyw,d  mo.t'^Sn 
!ffij.,rr  .1  rL""!,"*''*  Commiwonera  to  cauw  the  water  trbe  removed.  a?d  S 
afterward  to  be  liberally  Mattered  in  their  cellars.  Although  it  might  hw^e  tem  nlZ! 
bly  expected,  that  a  regard  to  aelf.pre«,rva.ion  would  hav?pr«luced.  prompt  ^JS^ 
with  thi.  recommendation,  it  ia  well  known  that  manynegleWd  iu  wJd  of  EZt  .  few 

I,-!,  ^ffi"*  'f*  ^1*  of  August,  numbem  began  to  leave  the  city,  and  many  of  those  who 
had  officea  for  the  transaction  of  buainea.  toward,  the  Eaat  river,  moved  to  bSJw 
S^J  rw**."*"".*"*  •"""'  ^I'^'^y-r    Thecu.tomhou«,.i„  Mill^trVet.  and  tL  Ina^TiS 
Office,  in  Water^treet,  were  fixed,  for  the  time,  in  the  Tontine  City  xivem,  in  Br3Srw 

and  twenty-nine.    Aa  particular  attention  was  not  paid  by  the  aextons,  during  this  momh 

?e«  1  w«  5iffi.T  r*""  ^'^  ^'''r  •"  "'^  <■«""  ^™^  '^^  ^''o  ''•'J  died  Cf  other  diSor: 
ders,  1  was  difficult  to  ascertain  their  precise  numbera.  It  was  believed,  however  thmVhv 
fixmg  It  at  one  hundred,  it  would  not  be  far  from  the  truth.  On  the  I5th  07X2;  t£ 
deaUia  were  14-from  which  day  the  number  continued  to  progress,  so  that  on  Z  w 

^oTZtVT^''""^  'e  ^\   "^^^  •^""y  •^«"««  during  August  wSab^CtW. 

uL  Tk      fit  ^^^5  °^  S«P5«'n>'-  'he  number  of  funerals  was  38,  on  the  19th  they  were  no 

circumstance  hopes  were  entertained  that  our  mortal  foe  was  about  to  leavTuaTbut  we 
were  again  disappointed,  for  the  next  four  days  it  kept  fluctuating  between  41  and  50  aid 
k"  ^*^^^"i  IT  "P  '°  f^-  'r''«  ♦»"''  ""'"her  of  deaths  dun'S  this  mCnth  was  ele^n 
hundred  and  fifty.two  of  whom  nine  hundred  and  fifty.four  died  of  feverT  The  dJuv  „e^^ 
age  through  the  month  was  about  38.  "^^ ""' 

"The  number  of  the  dead  on  the  1st  of  October  was  43,  and  this  was  the  oreatest  num 

J^'otd^^9*Afte^tZ^  ^'^  'i^'^^/Z''  reduced  to  16,'L,ron''Kr  to"; 
amouiited  to  9.  After  this  the  number  of  deaths  on  any  one  day.  durinir  the  existfinr*  nf 
Uie  calamity,  did  not  exceed  15;  and  it  is  abnost  certain,  that  L  our^b«,nt  Scm  aU 

thet'ath  w'a'rltf  ^h  '5'  "j*"*'  ""r^'^'t'  '^""'«''"«  them  f^m"  prTmiu^  «Tu^^ 
the  dea  h  warrant  of  the  disorder  might  have  been  dated  from  that  Say.    The  whole  numi 

fKordSof?e2'''r'^'"''""'^^^^         twenty-two,  of  whoij;  foJr  hSld  ^ 

"oTtJtihIfi!      ^u"  T"^^*  f  *•*  •*•""*"•  *•"""«  'his  month,  was  about  17. 
were  on£  4     Thf  Sr'^'K*"/'"'"  T"  ^'  '?'*  °"  «««»'  "^  'he  preceding  day.  the, 

sppeannce.  ' ".-^  to  tae  jjuonc  now  made  na 


,>i'' 
t 


V- 


NBW   TOBK   COUNTY. 

** '  The  Health  Gun!mitt««  for  thi  r«li«f  of  tha  liok  uid  indimnt  in  the  city  of  Niw  York, 
bM  l«tv«  to  congratulate  their  feliow-citiiena,  that  under  Divine  Providence,  thia  long 
•iWoted  city  ia  once  more  reatorcd  to  ita  uaual  atate  of  general  health,  and,  with  the  moat 
heartfelt  pUaaure,  inform  ihoae  who  yet  remain  in  exile,  that  although  a  few  caaea  of  tha 
peatilential  fever  exiat,  yet  that  by  the  late  cold  vnathtr  and  fnttt,  the  contagion  ia  ao  far 
doatroyed,  m  to  render  the  return  of  thoir  familiea  to  the  city  perfectly  aafe,  provided  they 
take  the  neceaeary  previoua  meaaurea  of  cleanaing  and  ventilating  their  long  unaired  dwelt. 
inga,  and  purifying  the  bedding  and  clothing,  which  may  have  been  left  therein  during  the 
prevalonoe  of  the  fever. 

••  •  It  would  have  afforded  the  Committee  much  aatiafaction,  con|d  they  have  given  this 
invil'^tion  at  an  earlier  period,  but  they  did  not  conceive  theinaelvea  warranted  by  the  then 
•xiati  ig  circumatancea.  There  have,  until  the  present  moment,  been  aeveral  new  caaea 
of  fever,  partieularly  among  those  eitiMtne  who  relumed  earlier  than  the  committee  thought 
prudent,  many  of  whom  have  fallen  vietimo  to  the  devouring  peetilenee.  Thia,  among 
other  circumatnncea,  haa  induced  the  committee,  to  withhold  thia  invitation  until  the  pre- 
■«nt  time.  Sec'  ,      .    .  ■ 

"  The  whole  number  of  deatha  during  thia  awful  calamity,  waa  two  thouaand  and  eighty- 
■ix,  via.  eleven  hundred  and  ten  men,  five  hundred  and  eighty-nine  women,  and  eight  Lun- 
dred  and  eighty.flve  children.  Of  theae,  if  we  admit  that  one  hundred  died  of  the  fe"  ■  f 
Auguat,  ita  victims  would  amount  to  one  thouaand  five  hundred  and  twenty.four.  A  great 
many  of  our  citizens,  too,  who  fled,  were  likewiae  cut  off  by  it.  Hence  it  ia  probable,  that 
the  whole  number  of  deaihH  would  be  between  9,400  and  9,500.  An  awful  number  in- 
deed ;  particularly  if  we  conaider  that  more  than  one  third,  aome  auppoae  that  one  half,  of 
the  inhabitanu  had  left  the  city. 

"  An  opinion  generally  prevailed,  that  the  progreaa  of  the  diaeaae  varied  accordmg  to  the 
■tate  of  the  atmoaphere ;  but  fi«m  my  observations  on  thia  aubject,  in  the  years  1798, 1799, 
1800, 1803, 1805,  and  also  in  the  present  year,  I  am  much  inclined  to  doubt  its  accuracy. 
The  petihnee  walktth  in  darkne-,  and  the  wisest  of  men,  as  yet,  know  very  little  of  the 
nature  of  ita  progress.  Of  this,  however,  we  may  be  certain,  that  cool  mornings  and  even- 
inga,  accompanied  by  hot  daya,  contribute  greatly  to  apread  infection ;  that  in  caae  of  yei. 
low  fever  having  for  aome  time  exiated  in  a  city,  it  ia  extremely  dangerous  for  those  who 
have  fled  to  return  to  their  houses  till  the  hard  froat  ahall  set  in,  and  that  a  keen  hlaekfrott 
has  uniformly  and  ahnoet  inatantunooualy  put  an  end  to  the  further  progress  of  the  disorder." 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  yellow  fever  in  1808,  as  given 
in  an  official  letter  by  Dr.  Miller. 

*•  The  commencement  of  the  diseaae  took  place  about  the  aOth  of  July,  and  from  that 
time,  it  continued  to  prevail,  in  a  greater  or  lesa  degree,  till  the  end  of  October.  The  num. 
ber  of  deatha,  in  thia  city,  amounted  to  five  hundred  and  three ;  those  at  the  Hospital  of 
Bellevue,  to  one  hundred  and  three,  and  those  at  the  Marine  Hospital  on  Stuten  Island,  to 
>ixty.eight,  making  a  total  of  six  hundred  and  seventy-four.  To  this  should  be  added  an 
indefinite  number,  about  fifty  or  sixty,  who  fled  from  the  city,  and  died  of  this  diseaae  in 
the  neighboring  country  and  villages. 

"  The  fitat  public  alarm  arose  from  some  fatal  cases  at  the  Coffee-House  Slip,  and  in  that 
neighborhood.  About  the  same  time,  the  disease  was  discovered  in  many  other  parta  of 
the  city,  without  any  known  intercourse  or  communication  between  the  persons  who  fell 
sick.  Although  the  number  of  cases,  even  at  the  worst  per  f'  of  the  epidemic,  could  not 
be  pronounced  to  be  great,  especially  if  compared  with  so.  i  .v  dinjp  jeasons,  they  were 
certainly  more  generally  diffused,  u  id  left  fewer  parts  of  the  "it>  >.r.jv^>  than  on  any  'un-'r 
occaaions.  Broadway  and  some  of  the  adjacent  parts  of  tJi  !>-.('  J-  'ned  their  I._.!t.iy 
character.  The  atreeta  lying  near  the  margins  of  the  twt  .ivei-.  und  nvme  of  those  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  city,  which  are  principally  inhabited  by  indigent,  uncleanly,  and  dissolute 
classes  of  the  comminiiy,  suffered  the  worst  ravages  of  the  diseaae.  The  alarm  of  the  in- 
habitants  waa  very  suddenly  produced,  and  the  suspension  of  business  and  the  desertion  of 
the  city  far  exceeded  what  had  been  ever  experienced  in  former  seasons." 

The  following  respecting  the  yellow  fever  in  1806,  is  extracted 
i:  'fii  a  letter  from  Dr.  E.  Miller  to  Gov.  Lewis. 

In  'c  -vvser  seasons,  it  has  been  usual  to  observe  sporadic  cases  OJ  this  disease,  for  several 
*«  -  8,  biilore  the  commencement  of  the  epidemic.  This  was  remarkably  verified  in  the 
laie  lieason ;  and  such  cases  deserve  the  more  attention,  as  they  furnish  the  best  means  of 
calculating  the  probability  of  approaching  pestilence.  Accordingly,  one  case  ol  a  decidedly 
tnalisnant  character  waa  observed  in  the  month  of  June ;  several  took  place  in  July ;  a  still 
greater  number  in  August :  and  at  the  beginning  ot  September,  they  had  become  so  nu 


MW    YORK   COUNTY. 


183 


meroua  h  to  uc«rtaiD  Um  eiiitenc«  of  th«  «pirf.mi«,  Tbrou-houl  SeptemlMrud  October 
the  diMM.  continued  to  prevail  with  more  or  t.«  wveriw.  .ccoTCoUi/aucL^ri!- 
.Uf  of  the  weether,  but  ...w.rd.  the  cloee  of  the  letter  mon',h'"hrcXe»  of  !•  MiSS 
fl^JtolruSt^r"*""-'  "^  ''  ""'  beipaningof  No;en.ber.  ZZS^L'lltlTy 
Jl^flm'  "'f  early  period  of  the  epidemic,  nearly  .11  the  c^.*  took  place  on  the  eMtem 
t{.v  .ft  "I'u  *••""'' Water,  and  Pearl  ..reef,  and  principally  below  Burling  8hT 
w7„  ^n"*'1  '""""u  r"'u«'"'"*"y  *'*'^"'*''-  About  the  aoth  of  September  SS 
beg.n  to  prevail  new  the  North  river.     On  the  whole,  the  /oii>  grounda  on  the  m.r«in1J 

dtV.l"„u:;?"H"f"":!"'  "'"'-^r"  U  '^'"^r'  °^  "••'  «^»-*'-    The  number  »"  dea^  fn  ,h1 
fh^MTr^n    H   '"  '.^•'"'  'r  •'"1*^"'''  '*''^  •'  ""  Bellevue  Hoapitol  to  59.  and  thli  in 
?.n.  f  .      ""•""!''  ■*!!'  S"'"."'",  '^'.'y- '"  '*«nty.eight.     The  number  of  ewe.  of  ^ilr 
nant  fever  reported  to  the  Board  of  Health,  amounted  to  aix  hundred.    It  kprowir  hkf 

WraCutTr""?  """r."?^  "S't"  ?"''''""'''•  '»  "«"'=•  '"  unrartalned  n^SprStL' 

J  ho  Bourco  of  this  dwease  forma  a  most  interesting  subject  of  inquiry  •  on  th<i  .urru. 

evir    AfteTa'ln^'""""'/"  "r",""''  ""'*  -^equate  means  ofUventlnrnd'er.dS:.rtr 
fh.;    iz!'  °  '""«  ?"?  "''''^"'  investigation  of  the  subject.  I  cannot  hesitate  to  condude 

The  yellow  fever  in  1822,  made  its  appearance  in  a  different 
rm?/v  '°'"  *if I  '^  ""^^^  I'  *^"^  commenSd  its  depredations  ?n 
hTn!f  JT*  «  ^'"'^  ""''^^'S'y  ^"«""  somewhere  on  the  East  -iver ; 
«Hrt  nf  til  f  fi"t  seen  »n  Reetor-street  towards  the  North  river,  a 
Cthv  T?*^^"^^'^**  ^^^  been  heretofore  deemed  peculiarly  un- 
healthy.  The  disease  was  first  formal  ly  noticed  by  the  Board  of 
Health  on  the  31st  of  July.  The  Board^gain  met^at  12  o'clock, 
having  agreed  to  meet  every  day  at  that  hour  during  the  prevalence 

pe«onsw,th  anxiety  strongly  marked  on  their  countenance,  and  wiAhS  «L  wSe* 
busUing  trough  the  streets.  Temporary  store,  and  office,  were  erecdmj.  «^  evriiTAl 
ensuing  day  (Sunday)  carU  were  in  motion  and  the  saw  and  hmZ  busitv  at  work 
Within  a  few  days  thereafter,  the  Customhouse,  the  Posuoffice,  the  BaZ "he  Sur^crS" 
ces. and  the  pnntem  of  new.papen,.  located  th;mselves  in  the  v^J^ "r  b  the 7^0.^^ 
Broadway,  where  they  were  free  from  the  impending  danger,  and  these  pScesS?mS.ti„ 

Friday,  the  llth  of  October,  was  observed  as  a  day  of  public  hu- 
miliation and  prayer  on  account  of  the  pestilence. 

.l.rS'"^'^''"!''"'^'"  *'"'  »<l<l"«of  Ae  Board  to  their  feUow.citiien.  on  the  96th  October 
Ae  absenteei  began  to  return  to  their  respective  abodes  with  a  precipiutSn  SLt  unwJ* 
iiih.'  A  ''^  °J  f*^^  cart,  and  wagon,  could  be  seen  in  a  line  tranSwrti  S  w.?S^ 
merchandise,  and  household  furniture  from  the  village  of  Green^rtchwd  E' T^ 
outskirts  of  the  city,  to  the  store,  and  houses  from  which  thevTd  b^J  SkensLv.^? 
Ztl  &•  °«  «h«  5*  November,  the  Customhou«.:pS«ffi^e,  BankflZ^S 
offices.  Printing  offices.  Vendue  Masters.  Merchants.  &c.  returned  to  th«.VfrrJLJI^kT. 

part  of  the  city,  were  re-opened.  vessels  came  to  our  dock,  as  usual  and  a  h^lu  .«i/nT! 
came  visible  at  the  former  places  of  trade  u>d  commerce  '  '  ^    ^"  '^* 

TiJr  / n^'  ?®^^:  ft®  ?^^*^^°  "^^^^^^  *"»^e  its  appearance  in  this  city. 
The  following  table  is  extracted  from  the  New  York  Observer     1 
:;l"±!i?  .!'!?.l-!*^?i-m  July  2d,  at  about  the  timeTf^j! 
...v«wx..uu^  uiiui  vci.  iain,  wnen  the  pestilence  had  almost  ceased. 


K 


184 


NEW   YOEK   COUNTY. 


Crt  Inspectoii's  Rxfokt. 


On,  ErniUTE. 


Week  ending 


Burial). 


Total 6,097 


3,496 


4,364 


The  annexed  description  of  New  York  in  1800,  was  taken  from  a 
series  of  historical  articles  relating  to  the  city,  now  being  published  in 
the  New  York  Express, commenced  two  years  since. 

"  The  fashionable  part  of  the  city,  or  WMt  end  of  the  town,  waa  in  Wall  and  Pine  streeta, 
between  Broadway  and  Pearl,— Pearl  from  Hanover  square,  (now  part  of  Old  slip,)  to 
John^treet,  along  State-street  and  a  part  of  Broadway,  below  Wall-street.  Then  the  city 
hall  was  not  built,  and  on  the  site  where  it  now  stands  was  the  rear  of  the  almshouse— the 
hog-pen  of  which  enclosed  the  ground  now  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  Park.  The 
change  is  truly  astonishing.  In  Wall-street,  for  example,  there  now  is  but  one  family 
residing  in  the  whole  street,  and  that  is  over  a  bank.  Hardly  an  old  building  remains, 
and  not  one  that  is  not  so  altered  as  to  be  totally  different  from  what  it  was  then.  At 
the  comer  of  Naasau-street,  stood  the  venerable  Federal  hail,  since  torn  down— a  splendid 
row  of  dweUings  was  afterward  put  up,  which  were  subsequently  torn  down  to  give  place 
to  the  new  customhouse,  now  building.  Next  below  stood  the  elegant  mansion  of  Mr. 
Verplanck,  the  brick  of  which  were  brought  from  Holland,  and  in  its  stead  is  the  Bank  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  Next  was  the  residence  of  John  Keese,  now  the  Union  Bank— less 
changed  than  any  other  building.  This,  however,  on  the  first  of  May,  is  to  be  levelled  with 
the  ground,  and  a  new  banking-house  to  be  put  up.  Between  it  and  William-street  were 
the  residences  of  Francis  B.  Winthrop  and  Charles  Wilkes— in  the  place  of  which  are  the 
Dry  Dock  Bank,  and  Bank  of  Amirica.  On  the  lot  where  the  United  States  Bank  now 
stands  was  the  elegant  mansion  of  Gen.  John  Lamb,  first  collector  of  the  port,  and  father 
of  Alderman  Lamb.  This  was  considored  not  only  the  finest  house,  but  was  believed  to 
be  the  grandest  house  that  could  be  built.  On  the  opposite  side,  where  is  now  going  up 
the  massive  new  Merchants'  Exchange,  stood  the  residence  of  Thomas  Buchanan,  Mrs. 
White,  and  William  C.  Leffingwell.  Mr.  Jauncey,  an  English  gentleman  who  lived  in 
treat  style,  occupied  the  building  now  rented  by  Measis.  Dykers  &  Alstyne— his  stable  is 
the  same  building  now  used  by  the  Board  of  Brokers.  The  very  room  in  whif^h  millions 
of  stock  are  sold  every  week  was  then  a  hay-loft.  .  .     n  u- 

"  The  watch-house  was  kept  at  the  comer  of  Broad'.atreet,  now  uaed  by  Robinson  for 
the  sale  of  his  caricatures.  Baker's  tavern,  one  of  die  most  noted  public  houses,  was  at  the 
comer  of  New-street — a  club  met  there  nightly  for  more  than  half  a  century.  Pine-street 
has  undergone  still  greater  changes,— from  Water-street  to  Broadway,  every  house  has  been 
demoltohed.  Then  not  a  store  was  to  be  seen.  The  old  French  church,  the  sanctuary  of 
the  Huguenots,  stood  at  the  corner  of  Nassau,— its  surrounding  burying  yard  contained  the 
ashes  of  many  of  the  most  valued  citizens.  The  Walcotts,  Jays,  Waddingtons,  Radcliffs, 
Brinkerhoffs,  Wells,  and  a  host  of  others,  resided  in  this  street,  without  a  thought  that  in 
lees  than  40,  and  even  30  yea^,  not  one  brick  then  standing,  would  remain  on  another. 
In  Pearl-street  were  the  fashionable  residences  of  Samuel  Denton,  John  Ellis,  John  J. 
Glover,  John  Mowett,  Robert  Lenox,  Thomas  Cadle,  John  Glendenning,  John  B.  Murray, 
Govcmw  Broome,  Andrew  Ogden,  Governor  iiwigtt  v;iinton,  Richard  varjck,  and  a  great 


NEW    YORK    COU-VTY. 


196 


number  of  ^hers.  Nearly  all  of  these  gentlemen  are  deceaaed.  We  notieed  a  few  davi 
«nce,  one  of  the  number,  Mr.  Denton,  for  a  long  time  paat  a  resident  of  Tenn««ee.  B« 
remarked  that  he  was  absolutely  a  stranger ;  knew  no  one,  and  could  hardly  identify  a  Ak 
gle  spot.  In  Hanover  square,  stood  a  block  of  buildings  fronting  Old  slip  and  PearUtreet. 
1  hey  have  aU  been  removed.    The  city  consisted  of  seven  wards,  now  IncreaMd  to  seven. 


View  of  the  City  Hall,  New  York. 


The  city  hall*  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  buildings  in  New 
York,  standing  near  the  centre  of  the  park,  an  area  of  about  four 
acres.  Situated  m  this  spacious  area,  it  is  seen  to  great  advantage 
in  every  direction.  ® 

"  The  building  is  of  a  square  form,  two  stories  in  height,  besides  a 
basement  story.    It  has  a  wing  at  each  end,  projecting  from  the  front, 
and  in  the  centre  the  roof  is  elevated  to  form  an  attic  story.     The 
whole  length  of  the  building  is  216  feet,  the  breadth  105,  and  the 
height  61  feet.    Including  the  attic  story,  it  is  65  feet  in  height.    The 
tront  and  both  ends,  above  the  basement  story,  are  built  of  native 
white  marble,  from  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts ;  and  the  rest  of  the 
building  is  constructed  of  brown  freestone.     The  roof  is  covered 
with  copper,  and  there  is  a  balustrade  of  marble  entirely  round  the 
top.    Rising  from  the  middle  of  the  roof,  is  a  cupola,  on  which  is 
placed  a  colossal  figure  of  Justice,  holding  in  her  right  hand,  which 
rests  on  her  forehead,  a  balance,  and  in  her  left,  a  sword  pointing  to 
the  ground.     Justice  is  not  blindfold,  as  she  is  represented  in  Europe. 
I  here  are  four  entrances  to  the  building ;  one  in  front,  one  in  the 

th«*  JtLf^T  7^^'"g  J*,''^  copied  from  a  drawing  taken  some  years  ago.  Since  then. 
hLA  !^^^^"  shghtly  altered,  and  a  clock  placed  in  it.  A  small  cupola  has  also 
dScts  and  whr?^'  °-  '"«'''  l^""^'  '^'  city  fire-bell.  The  city  is  divided  into  five  fire 
Se^nmW    r.  u-  'f  "J^'t  ',^  particular  district  in  which  it  is  located  is  indicated  by 

b  the^-nn?  ™''  ^^"''  '^'■'""  '°L''-  ^"'  "'«"""^«''  «'•'«"  it  i«  in  the  fim  it  tolls  once, 
»  conUnu  Ar  '"  '"  ■-'"'""'  '"^  '°  °"'  '''^'•''P'ing  in  the  iifth,  which  k  indicated  b^ 

24 


186 


NEW    YOEK   COUNTY. 


rear,  and  one  in  each  end.  The  front,  which  is  the  principal,  is  on 
the  first  story,  to  which  there  is  access  by  a  flight  of  12  marble  steps, 
rising  from  which  there  are  16  columns  supporting  a  portico  imme- 
diately over  the  entrance,  also  composed  of  marble.  In  the  centre 
of  the  rear  of  the  building,  there  is  a  projecting  pediment.  The  en- 
trance in  this  quarter  is  also  on  the  first  story,  by  a  flight  of  freestone 
steps.  The  first  story,  including  the  portico,  is  of  the  Ionic,  the  second 
of  the  Corinthian,  the  attic  of  the  Fancy,  and  the  cupola  of  the  Com- 
posite orders. 

"  The  foundation  stone  of  this  building  was  laid  on  26th  Septem- 
ber, 1803,  during  the  mayoralty  of  Edward  Livingston,  Esq.,  and  at 
a  time  when  the  yellow  fever  prevailed  in  the  city.  It  was  finished 
in  1812,  and  the  expense,  exclusive  of  the  furniture,  amounted  to  half 
a  million  of  dollars." 

"  Fifty  dollars,"  says  the  New  York  Express,  "  were  appropriated 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner-stone. 
These  were  the  times  when  expenses  of  this  sort  were  dealt  out 
with  a  most  sparing  hand.  No  corporation  dinners  were  allowed 
and  two  to  three  thousand  dollars  expended.  When  the  corner- 
stone was  laid,  and  long  after,  the  long  building  now  standing  on 
Chamber-street,  and  in  which  various  courts  are  held,  was  the  alms- 
house. The  paupers  of  that  day  numbered  less  than  four  hundred ; 
now,  our  Bellvue  establishment  has  more  inmates  than  the  number 
of  many  of  our  most  flourishing  cities.  Three  to  four  thousand  are 
the  permanent  inhabitants  of  the  almshouse,  besides  quadruple  that 
number  who  receive  temporary  relief  from  the  commissioners.  The 
space  between  the  almshouse  and  city  hall,  was  then  a  pig-pen,  and 
contained  hundreds  of  pigs,  fattened  by  the  wash  of  the  almshouse, 
debtor's  prison,  and  bridewell.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  hall  is  mainly 
built  of  marble ;  the  first  design  was  that  the  whole  should  be  built 
of  that  material.  At  that  time,  marble  was  high,  and  it  was  desira- 
ble to  make  a  saving.  It  was  maintained  that  the  population  would 
never,  to  any  extent,  settle  above  Chamber-street,  and  therefore,  as 
the  rear  of  the  hall  would  not  be  seen,  it  was  concluded  to  build  the 
same  of  red  freestone.  This  accounts  for  the  diflference  between  the 
front  and  rear." 

The  following  shows  the  Egyptian  building,  embracing  the  halls  of 

{'ustice,  as  it  appears  fronting  Centre-street.  The  police  courts  are 
jeld  here  at  all  hours  of  the  day ;  the  justices  relieving  each  other 
in  their  sittings.  This  place  may  be  considered  as  the  head-quarters 
of  the  police  officers  or  constables,  who  are  constantly  seen  going 
after,  and  returning  with  criminals  of  every  grade,  from  the  genteel 
and  accomplished  rascal,  to  his  brother  in  crime,  the  coarse  and  bru- 
tal villain.  Perhaps  in  no  other  part  of  the  country  are  seen  such 
degraded  and  disgusting  exhibitions  of  fallen  humanity,  as  in  this 
place.  Here  many  culprits  of  both  sexes  are  literally  dragged  up 
to  the  tribunal  of  justice.  While  some  are  making  complaints,  others 
are  beino'  "  examined,"  "  sentenced."  "  bound  oven"  or  "  rei^rimand- 

While  this  is  ffoinc:  on,  the  oflicers 


case  may 


S,^^J^g 


\ 


may 


NEW    YORK    COUNTY. 


t87 


Southern  view  of  the  Halls  of  Justice,  Centre-street. 


be  seen  leading  off  some  to  the  prisons,  or  tombs,  (as  they  are  famil- 
iarly called,)  in  another  part  of  the  building.  The  court  of  sessions 
IS  held  in  an  adjoining  part  of  the  building,  at  which  the  recorder 
presides. 

"  This  edifice  now  occupies  the  whole  of  the  block  bounded  by 
Leonard,  Elm,  Franklin,  and  Centre  streets,  (formerly  the  corpora- 
tion yard,)  and  is  263  feet  3  inches  in  length,  by  200  feet  6  inches 
m  width. 

"  The  interior  combines  accommodations  for  the  courts  of  sessions, 
police,  grand  jury,  house  of  detention,  records,  city  watch,  district 
attorney,  sheriff,  clerk  of  the  court,  and  other  officers  belonging  to 
the  different  branches  of  the  institution,  together  with  the  necessary 
offices  for  cooking,  washing,  watering,  warming,  &c.  The  whole 
designed  by  Mr.  John  Haviland. 

"  The  four  facades,  as  well  as  the  entrance  hall,  are  executed  in 
the  Egyptian  style  of  architecture,  with  Hallowell  granite. 

"  The  principal  front  has  a  distyle  portico  of  four  columns,  with 
palm-leaved  capitals.  Above  the  capitals  are  square  dies,  upon 
wnich  rests  the  architrave,  ornamented  with  a  large  winged  globe 
encircled  by  serpents.  The  architrave  is  surmounted  by  a  cornice, 
composed  of  a  bold  Scotia,  enriched  with  reeded  Triglyphs  and  a 
banded  Torus ;  and  which,  being  of  the  same  height  with  that  of  the 
similarly  embellished  wings,  forms  with  them  one  continued  line*. 
Moreover,  the  banded  moulding  of  the  cornice  descends  in  the  form 
of  a  roller  on  all  the  external  angles  of  the  edifice.  Both  the  wings 
are  perforated  with  five  lofty  windows,  extending  the  height  of  two 
stories,  and  finished  with  diminished  pilasters,  which  support  a  cor- 
nice over  each,  composed  simply  of  a  bold  Scotia,  enriched  with  a 
winged  globe  and  serpents. 

"The  lateral  fronts  on  Leonard  and  Franklin  streets  have  each 
-••  '  r-j  ■-•""s  F}i""c3  ur  purchcs,  wim  iwo  columns;  the  one  on 
Leonard-street  adjoining  the  principal  front,  is  the  entrance  to  the 


168 


NEW   YORK    COUNTV. 


debtors'  ward,  and  the  opposite  one  on  Franklin-street  is  the  entrance 
to  the  police  ward ;  the  other  two  corresponding  porches  next  to 
Elm-street,  form  the  carriage  entrance  to  the  house  of  detention. 
These  porches  are  54  feet  wide,  and  their  columns  and  entablatures 
correspond  with  those  of  the  principal  front,  but  the  caps  and  shafts 
of  the  columns  are  less  enriched.  The  recess  in  both  these  lateral 
fronts  is  six  feet,  and  is  relieved  by  five  windows  corresponding  in 
character  with  those  of  the  principal  front,  but  of  less  proportion  and 
enrichment,  the  Scotia  being  finished  with  reeded  Triglyphs  only, 
instead  of  the  winged  globe  and  serpents.  The  approach  to  the 
windows  on  these  fronts  is  guarded  against  by  a  neat  railing  in  keep- 
ing with  the  architecture.  The  rear  or  front  on  Elm-street  having 
no  entrance  cr  windows,  is  simply  relieved  by  seven  narrow  recesses 
in  imitation  of  embrasures,  and  a  railing  in  the  same  style  as  those 
on  the  lateral  fronts. 

"  A  terrace  surrounds  the  whole  enclosure,  raised  ten  feet  above  the 
level  of  Centre-street,  from  which  you  ascend  eight  steps  of  a  trun- 
cated and  pyramidal  form,  to  the  platform  of  the  portico,  from  which 
you  ascend  also  twelve  steps,  between  the  inter columniation  of  the 
rear  columns  to  the  entrance  hall.  This  hall  is  50  feet  square  and 
25  feet  high,  supported  by  eight  columns,  ranged  between  two  rows 
witl)  their  antas  placed  on  the  opposite  walls.  These  columns  bear 
the  character  or  an  order  taken  from  the  colonnade  of  the  temple  of 
Medynet  Abou.  Attached  to  the  antes  opposite  these  columns,  the 
architect  originally  designed  to  place  the  Egyptian  caviatides,  so 
highly  spoken  of  by  the  French  artists  in  Napoleon's  great  work  on 
Egypt,  published  by  Pauckonche;  and  he  feels  assured  that  the 
Board  will  yet  be  of  his  opinion,  and  finally  adopt  these  splendid  and 
imposing  figures  in  this  entrance  hall,  as  nothing  else  will  be  wanting 
to  perfect  the  edifice ;  their  capitals  are  ornamented  with  the  leaves 
and  flowers  of  the  Lotus.  The  floors  are  arched  and  laid  in  mosaic 
of  an  Egyptian  character,  governed  in  form  by  the  compartments  in 
the  ceiling  to  which  each  belongs. 

"  The  principal  courts,  jury,  witness,  and  other  business  rooms,  are 
connected  with,  and  lead  into  the  entrance  hall.  On  the  left  side 
are  doors  and  passages  communicating  with  the  grand  jury  room, 
offices  for  register,  clerk  of  the  court,  district  attorney,  and  sheriff*, 
debtors'  ward  and  witness'  rooms ;  and  on  the  right  side  are  disposed 
the  magistrates'  offices,  court,  and  witness'  rooms,  watchmen's  dor- 
faiitories,  police  court,  officers'  rooms,  and  cells  for  nightly  commit- 
ments. The  centre  leads  to  the  court  of  sessions,  (including  two  jury 
rooms,  and  separate  gallery  capable  of  containing  an  audience  of 
SOO  persons ;)  the  whole  well  ventilated  and  lighted,  and  in  a  situa- 
tion the  least  liable  to  be  disturbed  by  the  noise  of  the  adjoining  streets. 

"  The  house  of  detention  is  a  distinct  and  isolated  building,  142 
feet  in  length  by  45  in  width.  It  contains  148  cells,  divided  into  four 
distinct  classes  for  prisoners,  including  baths,  and  rooms  for  male  and 
female,  white  and  black  vagrants.  The  lower  cells  are  6  feet  9 
inches  wide,  11  feet  high,  and  )5  feet  long,  diminishing  18  inches  in 


NEW    YORK   COUNTY. 


180 


le  entrance 


length  in  each  story ;  they  are  provided  with  cast-iron  water  closets, 
hydrant,  water  cock,  ventilators,  and  are  warmed  by  Perkins'  hot 
water  pipes,  (introduced  and  now  in  successful  operation  in  the  new 
penitentiaries  at  Philadelphia  and  Trenton,  by  J.  Haviland,  architect.) 
The  floors,  and  ceilings,  and  galleries  are  formed  of  slabs  from  the 
North  river  flagging ;  the  doors  and  window  jambs  of  iron  ;  and  the 
entire  cells  are  otherwise  finished  on  the  most  approved  plan  for  se- 
curity, seclusion,  ventilation,  economy  of  supervision  and  watching. 
The  corridors  are  ten  feet  wide  below,  and  widen  at  each  story  to 
19  feet  at  the  summit,  aflt>rding  a  free  ventilation  and  uninterrupted 
view  of  every  cell  door,  from  the  observatory.    A  bridge  leads  across 
from  the  house  of  detention  to  the  prisoners'  seat  in  the  courthouse. 
By  reference  to  the  specifications  and  drawings,  it  will  be  seen  that 
every  part  of  the  building  is  calculated  to  be  executed  in  the  most 
substantial  and  approved  manner,  with  the  best  materials  of  their 
kind :  and  that  no  pains  or  expense  is  spared  to  effect  all  the  desired 
objects  of  the  institution,  with  the  aid,  experience,  and  best  talent 
that  the  country  afibrds. 

"The  building  is  generally  fire-proof  by  ceilings  and  floors  of 
arched  masonry. 

"  The  site  on  which  the  building  is  erected,  is  formed  of  made 
ground,  every  precaution  having  been  used  to  render  the  foundation 
secure  by  the  introduction  of  iron  ties,  inverted  arches,  and  heavy 
timbering.  The  whole  area  was  excavated  several  feet  below  the 
water  level,  large  timbers  were  placed  together,  and  range  timberg 
at  right  angles  with  these  laid  several  feet  wider  than  the  respective 

"  This  edifice  was  commenced  in  1836,  and  finished  during  the 
summer  of  1838."— iVeu>  York  in  1840. 


View  of  the  Penitentiary  onBlackwelTs  island. 

The  above  is  a  view  of  the  penitentiary  on  Blackwell's  island, 
about  four  miles  NE.  of  the  city  hall.  It  is  an  immense  stone  edifice, 
recently  erected,  partly  by  convicts.  The  main  building  is  four  stories 
high,  surmounted  by  a  square  tower ;  the  two  wings,  each  extend- 
ing upwards  of  200  feet  from  the  centre  building,  are  also  four  stories 
hieh.  The  interior  is  fitted  nn  -with  ronnno  ^nr  *y,a  oor.rtp^.v>«>j..*: — 
ot  the  keepers,  workshops  in  which  the  prisoners  are  obliged  to  labor, 


too 


NEW    YORK    COUNT V. 


and  numerous  cells ;  the  whole  being  constructed  in  the  most  sub- 
stantial and  secure  manner.  Bridewell  is  situated  at  Bellvue,  being 
part  of  the  building  now  used  as  the  female  penitentiary.  Criminals 
convicted  of  petit  larceny,  &c.,  are  confined  here ;  also  prisoners 
before  trial.  The  house  of  refuge  is  situated  about  2i  miles  N.  of 
the  city  hall,  and  is  under  the  control  of  the  *  Society  for  the  Re- 
formation of  Juvenile  Delinquents.'    It  was  incorporated  in  1825. 

"  Banks. — There  are  now  in  the  city  of  New  York  '.wenty-three 
incorporated  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $20,361,200.  There 
are  also  incorporated  in  the  state  of  New  York  seventy-five  other 
banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $16,740,260,  making  in  all  ninety- 
eight  banks,  with  a  total  capital  of  $37,101,468.  All  but  eight  of  the 
above  banks  are  subject  to  the  Safety  Fund  Act ;  the  exceptions  are 
the  Manhattan,  Dry  Dock,  Fulton,  North  River,  and  Chemical  banks, 
in  the  city  of  New  York ;  the  Long  Island  Bank,  Brooklyn ;  Com- 
mercial Bank,  Albany ;  and  Bank  of  Rochester,  in  the  city  of  Roch- 
ester. The  Safety  rund  now  amounts  to  $500,000,  which  is  the 
maximum  provided  by  law.  This  fund  was  created  by  an  annual 
tax  upon  the  Safety  Fund  Banks,  and  in  case  of  the  failure  of  any 
one  or  more  of  them,  it  is  liable  to  be  drawn  on  for  the  deficit. 

**  The  banks  are  open  every  day  in  the  year,  from  10  A.  M.  to  3 
P.  M.,  except  Sundays,  Christmas  day,  New  Year's  day,  the  Fourth 
of  July,  and  general  holidays  appointed  by  legal  authority,  and  the 
Bank  of  New  York  on  Good  Fridays.  In  1851 ,  40  bks,  cap.  35  millt?. 

"  The  rate  of  discount  is  6  per  cent,  per  annum,  (calculating  360 
days  to  the  year,)  excepting  when  notes  have  over  60  days  to  run. 
Three  days'  grace  are  allowed  on  all  notes,  and  the  discount  taken 
for  the  same.  When  notes  have  over  60  days  to  run,  the  banks  have 
the  privilege  of  charging  7  per  cent."  In  1851, 209  bnks.  in  the  State. 

|The  following  is  an  account  of  the  great  fire  in  1835,  by  which  it 
is  estimated  that  about  twenty  millions  worth  of  property  was  de- 
stroyed. 

"  One  of  the  most  alarming  and  destructive  fires  ever  known  in  this  hemisphere,  broke 
out  on  Wednesday  evening,  December  16th,  1835,  in  the  premises  of  Messrs.  Crawford  &. 
Andrews,  situate  No.  25  Merchant^treet,  in  this  city,  which  in  a  short  time  raged  with 
such  intensity  as  to  defy  the  exertions  of  the  firemen,  and  others,  who  with  equal  zeal  and 
prompitude  were  quickly  on  the  spot  for  the  purpose  of  stopping  its  ravages.  The  inutility 
of  all  aid  was,  however,  soon  perceptible,  and  all  that  could  be  done,  was  to  remove  what 
could  in  haste  be  got  together,  to  such  places  as  were  deemed  beyond  the  reach  of  the  de- 
vouring element.  With  this  impression,  an  immense  quantity  of  goods  were  placed,  for 
safety  from  buildings  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  fire,  in  the  Merchants'  Exchange  and 
Reformed  Dutch  Church,  where  it  was  presumed  they  would  remain  free  from  danger : 
alas !  the  futility  of  human  speculation ;  but  a  short  time  had  elapsed  from  the  time  of  such 
deposit  to  the  whole  being  enveloped  in  flames,  and  these  splendid  buildings  were  soon 
reduced  to  a  heap  of  ashes.  The  power  of  man  was  fruitlessly  employed  in  attempts  to 
stay  its  impetuosity,  which  every  minute  increased  in  the  most  alarming  manner,  spreading 
in  all  directions,  and  causing  the  utmost  dismay  and  consternation  through  the  whole  city 
Any  attempt  to  convey  to  the  mind  a  faithfiil  description  of  the  awfully  grand  scene  that  pre. 
aented  itself  to  the  view  of  those  who  were  witnesses  of  this  dreadful  catastrophe,  must  ot 
necessity  be  very  feeble. 

"  The  morning  of  the  17th  of  December,  1835,  opened  upon  New  York  with  a  scene 
of  devastation  around^  sufficient  to  di«may  th«  stoutest  h«art  The  fine  range  of  building* 
and  splendid  stores  in  Exchatige  place,  Merchantatreet,  and  all  the  adjoining  streets  down 


NEW   YORK    COUNTY. 


101 


le  most  subo 
illvue,  being 
Criminals 
10  prisoners 
miles  N.  of 
for  the  Re- 
in 1825. 
wenty-three 
1200.  There 
;y-five  other 
n  all  ninety- 
eight  of  the 
ceptions  are 
nical  banks, 
klyn;  Com- 
ity of  Roch- 
^hich  is  the 
f  an  annual 
ilure  of  any 
eficit. 

>  A.  M.  to  3 
,  the  Fourth 
rity,  and  the 
Eip.  35  inill«>. 
filiating  360 
days  to  run. 
icount  taken 
I  banks  have 
in  the  State. 

by  which  it 
rty  was  de- 


misphere,  broke 
irs.  Crawford  & 
ime  raged  with 
1  equal  zeal  and 
.  The  inutility 
to  remove  what 
reach  of  the  de- 
were  placed,  for 
'  Exchange  and 
e  from  danger : 
the  time  of  such 
lings  were  soon 
i  in  attempts  to 
inner,  spreading 
the  whole  city 
1  scene  that  pre. 
itrophe,  must  ot 

rk  with  a  scene 
igA  of  building* 
ng  streets  down 


to  the  nver,  lay  hterally  levelled  to  the  earth,  with  their  contento  ccsumed;  the  Mer. 
ctaanto  Exchange  and  PosUoffice  entirely  destroyed— the  whole  one  heap  of  smoking  ruiiM. 
A  tolerably  correct  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  devastation  may  be  formed  from  the  fol- 
lowmg  account,  which  appeared  the  next  morning  in  the  Courier  and  Enquirer. 

"  Southjitreet  is  burned  down  from  WalUtreet  to  Coenties  slip.  Front-street  is  burned 
down  from  Walljitreet  to  Coentiee  slip.  Pearljitreet  is  burned  down  from  WalUtreet  to 
CoenUM  alley,  and  was  there  stopped  by  blowing  up  a  building.  StoneJitreet  is  burned 
down  from  William-street  to  No.  32  on  the  one  side  and  No.  39  on  the  other.  Beaver 
street  u  burned  down  half  way  to  Broadjitreet.  Exchange  place  ia  burned  down  froni 
Hanover-street  to  within  three  doors  of  Broad-street ;  here  the  flames  were  stopped  by 
blowing  up  a  house.  William-street  is  burned  down  from  WalUtreet  to  South-street,  both 
^  ®"«r.n.**'*y-  Market-houae  down.  Walljtreet  is  burned  down  on  the  south  side 
from  Wilham-street  to  Southjjtreet,  with  the  exception  of  51,  53,  65,  57,  59,  61,  opposite 

f.  ^u  *'  «irtfs\a  and  alleys  within  the  above  limits  are  destroyed. 

"  The  following  will  be  found  a  tolerably  accurate  statement  of  the  number  of  houses  and 
stores  now  levelled  with  the  ground  :  26  on  Water-street,  37  on  Southjiireet,  80  on  Fronu 
street,  62  on  Exchange  place,  44  on  William-street,  16  on  Coenties  slip,  3  on  Hanover 
square,  20  on  Gouverneur's  lane,  20  on  Cuyler's  alley,  79  on  Pearl-street,  76  on  Water, 
street,  16  on  Hanover-street,  31  on  Exchange-street,  33  on  Old  slip,  40  on  Stone-street. 
23  on  Beaver-street,  10  on  Jones'  lane,  38  on  Mill-street ;— -Total,  674. 

"Six  hundred  and  seventy.four  tenements.  By  far  the  greater  part  in  the  occupacy  of 
our  largest  shipping  and  wholesale  drygoods  merchants,  and  filled  with  the  richest  products 
ot  every  portion  of  the  globe.  How  estimate  the  immense  loss  sustained,  or  the  fearful 
consequences  to  the  general  prosperity  ? 

"Of  the  Merchants'  Exchange  nothing  but  its  marble  walls  remain  standing. 

"Three  or  four  vessels  lying  at  the  wharves  on  South-street  were  slightly  injured  in  their 
yards  and  rigging.    They  were  all  hauled  out  into  the  river  as  soon  as  practicable. 

"A  detachment  of  marines  from  the  navy-yard  under  Lieut.  Reynolds,  and  of  sailors 
under  Capt.  Mix  of  the  navy,  arrived  on  the  spot  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They 
rendered  most  valuable  service.  The  gunpowder  brought  from  the  magazine  at  Red  hook 
was  partly  under  their  charge. 

"The  cold  during  the  whole  time  was  excessive ;  the  thermometer  at  zeio.  It  may  bo 
easily  supposed  that  this  greatly  paralyzed  the  exertion  of  the  firemen.  One  sank  under 
Its  effects,  and  was  with  difficulty  resuscitated. 

"  Two  companies,  with  their  engines,  arrived  here  from  Newark,  and  rendered  very 
material  assistance. 

«  "uT*'®.  P"»*®"8«"  ™  *e  steamboat  coming  down  the  river,  saw  the  flames  from  the 
Highlands,  forty-five  miles  distant,  and  such  was  the  violence  of  the  gale,  during  the  preva. 
lence  of  the  fire,  that  burning  embers  were  carried  across  the  East  river  to  Brooklyn  and 
set  fire  to  the  roof  of  a  house  there,  which  was  however  speedily  extinguished. 

"  Strong  bodies  of  cavalry  and  volunteer  infantry  were  patroUing  the  streets  near  the  fire, 
and  preserved  perfect  order  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  depredations." 

Columbia  college,  (formerly  King's  college,)  is  situated  on  a  beau- 
tiful square  between  Murray,  Barclay,  Church,  and  Chapel  streets, 
m  the  city  of  New  York.  It  was  established  under  a  royal  charter 
in  1754,  which  has  been  confirmed  by  various  acts  of  the  legislature 
since  the  revolution. 

"There  are  two  literary  societies  connected  with  the  college, 
proposed  of  students  and  graduates— viz,  the  Peithologian  and  Uie 
Philolexian  societies. 

"  There  is  also  connected  with  the  college,  a  grammar  school, 
subject  to  the  control  of  the  trustees,  and  under  the  direction  of  Pro- 
fessor Anthon,  as  rector.  The  school  is  composed  of  upwards  of 
200  hundred  scholars,  and  instruction  is  given  in  all  branches  neces- 
sary for  admission  into  any  college,  or  for  the  counting-house. 

"  Eight  mstructers  are  constantly  employed,  besides  one  teacher  in 
French,  one  in  Spanish,  and  one  in  German  and  Italian.  There  is 
also  a  primary  school  attached  to  this  institution,  in  which  bo"« 
five  to  ten  years  are  prepared  for  the  more  advanced  classes. 


-  -  IX  vlu. 


Il» 


NEW   YORK   COUNTY. 


View  of  the  Customhouse,  Wall-street. 

••  By  a  statute  of  Columbia  college,  the  corporation  of  the  city  of 
New  York,  the  trustees  of  the  New  York  Public  School  Society,  the 
trustees  or  directors  of  the  Clinton  Hall  Association,  of  the  Mercantile 
Library  Association,  and  of  the  Mechanic  and  Scientific  Institutions, 
the  General  Society  of  Mechanics  and  Tradesmen,  and  -uch  other 
societies  as  the  board  of  trustees  may  from  time  to  time  designate, 
are  each  entitled  to  have  always  two  students  educated  in  the  college 
free  of  all  charges  of  tuition.  Every  religious  denommatiori  m  the 
city  is  also  entitled  to  have  one  student,  who  may  be  designed  for  the 
ministry,  educated  free  of  all  charges.  And  every  school,  from 
■which  there  shall  be  admitted  in  any  one  year  into  the  college  four 
students,  have  the  privilege  of  sending  one  scholar,  to  be  educated 
gratuitously.  In  order  to  give  effect  to  the  privilege  m  regard  to 
the  common  schools  in  the  city,  twelve  scholars  at  one  time  receive 
gratuitous  instruction  in  the  grammar  school  preparatory  to  their 
entering  the  college." 

The  above  is  a  view  of  the  new  customhouse  as  seen  trom  Wall- 
street  This  structure  surpasses  any  building  of  its  size  in  the 
world,  both  in  the  beauty  of  its  design  and  the  durability  of  its  con- 
struction. It  is  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  200  feet  long,  by  90 
wide;  and  about  80  feet  in  height  from  the  bottom  of  the  foundation 
wall  to  the  top.  Brick,  granite,  and  marble  are  used  in  the  construc- 
tion; all  the  inside  walls  are  of  brick,  with  the  exception  of  those  in  the 
rotunda,  which  are  of  marble.  The  steps  and  stairs  throughout  are 
of  a  light-colored  granite,  employed  for  the  sake  of  durability.  At 
the  extremity  of  the  entrance  hall  is  the  rotunda,  or  large  circular 
apartment  to  be  used  as  the  collector's  office.  This  i^  a  most  splen- 
did room ;  the  roof  is  supported  by  16  beautiful  marble  columns,  high- 
ly polished  with  Corinthian  capitals,  30  ieei  high,  and  2  feet  8  inches 
in  diameter.  The  diameter  of  the  rotunda  is  60  feet  in  the  clear, 
and  80  feet  in  the  recesses.    The  largest  blocks  of  marble  used  in 


r  the  city  of 
Society,  the 
f)  Mercantile 
Institutions, 
1  '•uch  other 
le  designate, 
n  the  college 
ation  in  the 
igned  for  the 
jchool,  from 
college  four 
be  educated 
in  regard  to 
time  receive 
lory  to  their 

1  from  Wall- 
1  size  in  the 
y  of  its  con- 
ilong,  by  90 
le  foundation 
the  construc- 
f  those  in  the 
roughout  are 
rability.  At 
arge  circular 
I  most  splen- 
Dlumns,  high- 
feet  8  inches 
in  the  clear, 
irble  used  in 


STATUE  OF  GEORGE  III, 
Demolished  on  the  Declaration  of  Independence  in  New  York,  1116. 


INAUGURATION  OF  WASHINGTON, 
In  the  gallery  of  Federal  Hall,  New  York,  30th  April,  1789. 


iriW   YOKK   OOUNTT.  ]gg 

the  building  weigh  thirtv-three  tons.  The  marble  slabi  for  the  roof 
weigh  800  or  400  pounds,  and  lap  over  each  other  eight  inchef  with 
an  upper  and  an  under  lip,  to  allow  of  the  expansive  power,  and  to 
keep  out  the  least  particle  of  water.  The  entire  outside  of  this 
splendid  edifice  is  of  marble,  with  the  exception  of  the  gramte  steps. 
There  is  not  a  particle  of  wood  work  in  any  part  of  the  building 
and  It  18  probably  the  only  structure  in  the  world  that  has  been  erect- 
ed so  enUrely  fire-proof  This  elegant  edifice  was  commenced  m 
May,  1884,  and  finished  in  May,  1841.  The  cost,  ground  inclusive, 
was  •1,176,000— building  alone,  $960,000.  The  architect  is  Mr. 
John  Frazee,  and  it  will  probably  remain  for  ages  a  monument  of  his 
■kill. 

The  number  of  officers  employed  in  the  customhouse  is  354,  of 
whom  nearly  200  are  inspectors.  The  amount  of  duties  received  for 
the  last  three  years  has  been  as  follows,  viz  :— 

\l^ $10,494,055  34 

*ff* 13,970,333  49 

^°*^l 7,557,441  36 

The  old  city  or  Federal  Hall  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  Cus- 
tomhouse. It  was  m  its  gallery  on  Wall-street,  on  April  30th,  1789. 
that  George  Washington  was  inaugurated  the  first  President  of  the 
United  btates.  The  annexed  account  of  this  ceremony  is  from  Sparks' 
Life  of  Washington :—  J  f 

"A  committee  of  congress,  consisting  of  three  members  of  the 
feenate  and  five  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  was  appointed  to 
meet  him  in  New  Jersey  and  attend  him  to  the  city  of  Uevr  York 
To  Ehzabethtown  Point  came  many  other  persons  of  distinction,  and 
the  heads  of  the  several  departments  of  government.  He  was  there 
received  in  a  barge,  splendidly  fitted  up  for  the  occasion,  and  rowed 
by  thirteen  pilots  in  white  uniforms.  This  was  followed  by  vessels 
and  boats,  fancifully  decorated,  and  crowded  with  spectators.  When 
the  President's  barge  came  near  to  the  city,  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns 
was  hred  from  the  vessels  in  the  harbor,  and  from  the  battery.  At  the 
landing  he  was  again  saluted  by  a  discharge  of  artillery,  and  wa» 
joined  by  the  governor  and  other  officers  of  the  state,  and  the  cor- 
poration  of  the  city.  A  procession  was  then  formed,  headed  by  a 
long  military  train,  which  was  followed  by  the  principal  officers  of 
the  state  and  city,  the  clergy,  foreign  ministers,  and  a  great  con- 
course <>f  citizens.  The  procession  advanced  to  the  house  prepared 
tor  the  reception  of  the  President.  The  day  was  passed  in  festivity 
t7'  ^"°  ^  *^®  evening  the  city  was  brilliantly  illuminated. 

"  The  first  public  act  of  the  President  was  that  of  taking  the  oath 
ot  office.  It  was  decided  by  congress,  that  this  should  be  done  with 
some  ceremony.  In  the  morning  of  the  day  appointed,  April  30th, 
at  9  o  clock,  religious  services  suited  to  the  occasion  were  performed 
m  all  the  churches  of  the  city.  At  twelve  the  troops  paraded  before 
the  President's  door,  and  soon  afterward  came  the  committees  of 
confess  and  the  heads  of  departments  in  carriages,  to  attend  him  to 
me  j?eaeral  Hail,  where  the  twt>  houses  of  congress  were  assembled. 

25 

i 

t  * 


194 


mW   YOllK   OOUNTT. 


The  procession  moved  forward  with  the  troops  in  front,  next  the 
committees  and  heads  of  departments,  then  the  President  in  a  coach 
alone,  followed  by  the  foreign  ministers,  civil  otficers  of  the  state,  and 
citizens.  Arrivecl  at  the  hall,  he  ascended  to  the  senate  chamber, 
and  passed  thence  to  a  balcony  in  front  of  the  house,  where  the  oath 
was  administered  to  him  in  presence  of  the  people  by  Chancellor 
Livingston.  The  President  returned  to  the  senate  chamber,  in  the 
midst  of  loud  acclamations  from  the  surrounding  throng  of  spectators, 
and  delivered  to  the  two  branches  of  congress  his  inaugural  speech. 
He  then  went  on  foot  to  St.  Paul's  church,  where  prayers  were  read 
by  the  bishop,  and  the  ceremonies  were  closed.  Tokens  of  joy  were 
everywhere  exhibited,  as  on  the  day  of  his  arrival,  and  at  night  there 
was  a  display  of  illuminations  and  fire-works." 


Merchants  Exchange,  Wall-street. 

This  structure,  now  erecting  and  nearly  completed,  is  in  part  on 
the  site  of  the  Exchange  building  destroyed  by  the  great  fire  of  De- 
cember, 1835,  and  embraces  all  the  ground  between  William  and  Wall 
streets,  Exchange  place,  and  Hanover-street,  covering  the  entire  block. 
The  dimensions  are  198  feet  on  Wall-street,  171  on  William-street, 
144  on  Hanover-street,  and  196  feet  on  Exchange  place.  It  is  77  feet 
high  to  the  top  of  the  cornice,  and  124  feet  from  the  foundation  wall 
to  the  top  of  the  dome. 

The  building  when  finished  will  be  of  the  Grecian  Ionic  style  of 
architecture,  the  exterior  of  which  will  be  constructed  of  blue  Quin- 
cy  granite,  in  the  most  chaste  and  durable  manner.  In  front,  on 
Wall-street,  will  be  a  recessed  portico,  with  18  massive  columns,  38 
feet  in  height.  The  process  of  quarrying  is  curious.  The  quarry  is  in 
in  the  side  of  a  hill ;  the  ends  of  a  block  of  granite  are  cleared,  a  row  of 
holes  are  drilled  in  a  straight  line,  wedges  are  inserted,  and  an  enormous 
piece  of  stone  weighing  from  300  to  400  tons  is  thus  wedged  off  with 
ease.  Each  of  the  columns  for  the  portico  weigh  about  90  tons  in 
the  rough,  and  five  men  with  a  simple  apparatus  draw  it  out  of  tho 
quarry  in  tv/o  or  three  days  to  the  place  w!u;re  the  workmen  stand 


\ 


\ 


NKW    YUKK    COUNTY 


litt 


View  of  the  New  York  University. 

ready  to  hammer-dress  it.  The  fair  market  price  of  one  of  these 
columns  IS  #6,000;  but  the  Exchange  company  pay  only  #3,000  for 
them,  dehvered  in  New  York.  These  columns  with  but  one  exeep- 
tion,  (that  of  a  church  at  St.  Petersburg,)  are  the  largest  in  the  world, 
bemg  38  feet  m  height,  and  4  feet  4  inches  in  diameter ;  and  each  of 
the  columns,  including  the  base,  cap,  and  shaft,  weighs  43  tons.  The 
exchange  room  or  rotunda  is  a  most  magnificent  apartment,  in  the  cen- 
tre ot  the  building.  The  height  of  it  to  the  spring  of  the  dome  is  61 
feet,  and  above  this  the  dome  is  30  feet  high ;  the  whole  to  be  sur- 
mounted by  a  lantern  sky-light  37  feet  diameter,  and  6  feet  high.  The 
floor  is  to  be  of  fine  marble— its  diameter  is  80  feet  in  the  clear,  and 
100  leet  m  the  recesses,  forming  an  area  of  7000  square  feet,  which 
It  is  estimated  will  hold  3000  persons.  The  dome  is  partly  suoport- 
ed  by  eight  polished  Italian  marble  columns  with  Corinthian  capitals, 
executed  m  Italy;  these  are  41  feet  in  height,  including  the  cap  and 
base,  and  4  feet  8  inches  in  diameter.  There  will  also  be  many  rooms 
tor  the  accommodation  of  public  and  private  offices,  so  constructed 
as  to  be  entirely  fire-proof,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Isaiah 
Kogers,  the  architect  of  the  building.  The  cost  of  the  structure  will 
be  about  $2,000,000. 

The  above  is  a  view  of  the  New  York  University,  built  in  the  col- 
legiate  gothic  style,  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Washington  square. 
This  institution  was  chartered  in  1831,  and  opened  for  the  reception 
ot  students  in  1832.    .The  number  of  students  in  1840  was  364 

"  This  building  has  just  been  completed,  after  a  labor  of  several 
years ;  it  is  one  hundred  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
long.  In  front  this  oblong  is  divided  into  five  parts— a  central  build- 
ing, with  wings  flanked  by  towers,  one  rising  on  each  of  the  four 
corners  of  the  edifice.  This  central  building  or  chapel  is  superior  to 
the  rest  in. breadth,  height,  and  character;  and  is  somewhat  similar 
.0  M.a.  o.  iving  s  college,  v^ambridge,  iingland ;  a  masterpiece  of 


m 


in 


]gQ  NEW    YORK    COUNTY. 

pointed  architecture,  and  the  model  for  succeeding  ages.  It  is  fifty- 
five  feet  broad,  and  eighty-five  feet  deep,  including  the  octangular 
turrets,  one  of  which  rises  at  each  of  the  four  comers.  The  two 
ends  are  gabled,  and  are,  as  well  as  the  sides,  crowned  with  an  em- 
battled parapet.  The  chapel  will  receive  its  principal  light  from  a 
window  in  the  western  end.  This  window  is  twenty-four  feet  wide, 
and  fifty  high.  It  has  eight  lights  and  two  embattled  transoms.  The 
heads  of  the  lights  are  cinque-foiled  in  a  plain  arch,  and  the  divisions 
above  are  quatre-foiled.  Over  the  head  of  the  window  is  a  drip- 
stone, with  plain  returns.  From  the  central  building,  or  chapel,  wings 
project  right  and  left,  and  are  four  stories  in  height,  flanked  by  towers 
of  five,  supported  by  angular  buttresses  of  two  stages,  running  above 
an  embattled  parapet,  and  are  at  the  top  themselves  embattled.    The 


New  York  Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb, 

windows  in  the  wings  have  square  heads,  with  two  lights,  a  plain 
transom,  and  the  upper  division  tre-foiled.  The  heads  of  the  win- 
dows are  labelled,  and  have  plain  returns.  The  lower  range  of  win- 
dows is  set  on  a  tablet,  which  serves  as  a  base,  and  the  two  ranges 
above  are  set  on  strings,  which  return  around  the  turrets,  and  stop 
against  the  buttresses.  The  principal  entrance  is  under  the  great 
western  window,  through  a  richly  moulded  and  deeply  recessed 
portal,  flanked  by  buttresses  of  two  stages,  the  upper  stage  set  di- 
agonally, and  rising  above  an  embattled  parapet.  The  doors  are  of 
oak,  richly  pannelled,  and  filled  with  tracery  of  open  work,  closely 
studded  with  bronze." 

"  The  New  York  Institution  for  the  instruction  of  the  deaf  and 
dumb,  was  incorporated  in  1817,' and  commenced  operations  under  its 
charter,  by  opening  a  school  for  the  reception  of  pupils  on  the  12th 
day  of  May,  1818.  Until  the  spring  of  1829,  the  school  was  held  in 
the  building  now  called  the  new  City  Hall.  At  that  time  the  pupils 
•were  transferred  to  a  large  building  erected  for  the  purposes  of  the 
institution,  on  Fiftieth-street  and  the  Fourth  Avenue,  three  and  a  half 
miles  from  the  City  Hall.  Communication  between  the  institution 
and  the  city  is  rendered  very  easy,  by  the  cars  which  pass  on  the 
Harluem  railroad,  (Fourth  Avenue.)  every  fifteen  or  twenty  mmutes 
in  both  directions. 


NEW   YORK   COUNTY. 


197 


"  The  principal  building  occupied  for  the  purposes  of  the  mstitution, 
is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  by  sixty,  in  the  dimensions  of  its  plan, 
and  five  stories  in  height,  including  the  basement.  It  accommodates, 
with  some  inconvenience,  the  number  of  pupils  which  the  institution 
embraces  at  present,  with  the  teachers,  the  family  of  the  principal, 
and  such  other  persons  as  are  needed  to  assist  in  conducting  the  aBairs 
of  the  establishment. 

"  The  original  charter  of  the  institution  being  about  to  expire  by 
limitation  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1837,  it  was  extended  by  the  le 
gislature,  in  the  spring  of  1836,  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years. 

"  The  number  of  pupils  who  were  members  of  the  institution  in 
1840,  was  one  hundred  and  fifty-two.  One  hundred  and  fourteen  of 
these  are  supported  at  the  expense  of  the  state  of  New  York,  six 
at  the  expense  of  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  twelve  by  the  city  au- 
thorities, one  by  the  supervisors  of  the  county  of  Dutchess,  twelve 
by  the  funds  of  the  institution,  and  the  rest  by  their  parents  or  friends.'* 

The  New  York  institution  Jf'or  the  WiV.^.— This  institution  contains 
about  fiftv  blind  pupils,  who,  in  addition  to  the  school  exercises,  are 
employed  in  making  baskets,  mats,  rugs,  carpeting,  and  in  braiding 
palm-leaf  hats.    They  are  also  taught  instrumental  and  vocal  music. 

The  New  York  Historical  Society,  established  in  1809,  by  private 
contribution  and  legislative  assistance,  possesses  a  library  of  about 
10,000  volumes,  valuable  manuscripts,  coins,  &c.  The  Stuyvesant 
Institute  was  organized  in  1834,  for  the  difiusion  of  knowledge  by 
means  of  popular  lectures,  to  establish  a  cabinet  of  natural  history, 
library,  &c.  The  American  Lyceum,  for  the  promotion  of  education, 
was  founded  in  1831.  The  New  York  Society  Library  was  estab- 
lished in  1754,  and  has  35,000  volumes.  The  Apprentices*  Library 
was  established  by  the  General  Society  of  Mechanics  and  Trades- 
men in  1821,  and  has  about  12,000  volumes. 

The  Mercantile  Library  Association. — This  noble  institution  was  es- 
tablished in  1821,  since  which  time  it  has  gone  on  gradually  and 
'steadily  increasing,  until  it  now  numbers  3,500  members,  and  a  splenr 
did  library  of  22,600  volumes,  with  an  annual  income  of  about  $8,000. 
Connected  with  the  library  are  extensive  reading-rooms,  which  are 
supplied  with  all  the  principal  American  and  foreign  periodicals. 
Lectures  are  regularly  given  by  those  distinguished  in  the  various 
departments  of  science  or  literature.  Classes  are  also  formed  for 
instruction,  and  the  facilities  here  given  at  a  trifling  expense  to  the 
clerk  for  acquiring  a  finished  mercantile  education,  are  unequalled 
perhaps  by  any  similar  institution  in  the  world. 

The  Co//e^e  of  Phyiicians  and  Surgeons  was  formed  in  1807,  by 
the  legislature  of  New  York,  at  the  recommendation  of  the  regents 
of  the  University,  by  whose  immediate  government  it  is  controlled. 
The  New  York  Eye  Infirmary  was  founded  in  1820;  since  this 
period  about  17,000  persons  have  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period  been 
under  the  care  of  the  surgeons  of  this  institution.  The  New  York 
Hospital  was  fouiided  in  1771,  by  the  earl  of  Dunmore,  the  governor 
of  the  colony.    This  institution  has  an  annual  revenue  from  various 


198 


NEW    YOEK   COUNTY. 


sources  of  about  $68,000,  the  larger  portion  of  which  is  annually 
expended.  The  Bloomingdale  Asylum  for  the  insane  is  pleasantly 
situated  near  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  river,  distant  7  miles  from  the 
city,  and  has  attached  to  it  40  acres  of  land,  laid  out  in  gardens, 
pleasure  grounds,  &c.,  well  adapted  for  the  unfortunate  inmates. 

The  American  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  in  Barclay-street,  was  incor- 
porated in  1808.  Napoleon,  while  first  consul,  presented  Mr.  Liv- 
ingston, our  ambassador  to  France,  with  a  valuable  collection  of 
casts,  engravings,  &c.,  for  this  institution,  which  may  be  seen  by  the 
public  during  the  season  of  exhibition.  The  National  Academy  cf 
Design  was  instituted  in  1826.  It  is  enriched  with  many  produc- 
tions of  American  art.  It  has  professorships  of  Painting,  Anatomy, 
Sculpture,  and  Mythology. 

The  number  of  churches  in  1851  was  two  hundred  and  thirty-three, 
named  in  the  annexed  list. 


Presbyterian 43 

Congregationalist 9 

Dutch  Reformed 18 

Episcopalian 40 

Baptist 30 


Methodist 38 

Catholic 20 

Friends .4 

Lutheran .6 

Universalist 4 


Unitarian S 

Jews 10 

New  Jerusalem 3 

Moravian 1 

Miscellaneous 7 


Gothic  {late  Masonic)  Hall,  Broadway. 

1641. 

This  building,  lately  the  head-qiiarters  of  the  Whig  party  in  this 
city,  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway,  about  60  rods  north  of 
the  Park.  The  foundation  was  commenced  on  St.  John's  day,  24th 
June,  1826;  when  the  corner-stone  was  laid  with  all  due  ceremony 
by  the  craft,  in  presence  of  thousands  of  citizens.  It  was  finished  in 
the  subsequent  year ;  the  whole  cost  being  $50,000.  The  building 
has  lately  undergone  some  alterations  internally,  and  the  name  been 

changed  tC  t:iat  Oi  (jiOti:iC  xiall. 


NEW    YORK    COUNTY, 


199 


View  of  Tammany  Hall*  and  the  adjoining  hiildinss, 

^  Dec,  1840.  •'a  6 

The  above  shows  the  appearance  of  Tammany  Hall  and  the  adia- 
cent  buildmgs  as  they  appear  from  the  southern  wing  of  the  City 
Hall,  rammany  Hall  has  acquired  considerable  celebrity  from 
being  the  head-quarters  of  ihe  democratic  party.  The  other  build- 
mgs seen  on  this  block  are  mostly  newspaper  establishments:  "  The 
Sun,  "New  Era,"  ''Brother  Jonathan,"  the  " Tattler,"  and  some 
others  are  published  here.  The  office  of  the  Sun,  a  daily  paper,  is 
on  the  comer  of  the  block.  This  is  the  oldest  penny  paper  m  the 
city,  having  been  commenced  towards  the  close  of  1833,  on  a  n.edium 
Jeet,  by  Day  and  Wisner.  Two  or  three  months  afterward  the 
Transcript  was  begun  of  the  same  size,  by  Hayward,  Lynde,  and 
btanley.  The  Herald,  by  J.  G.  Bennet,  was  the  next  living  penny 
publication :  it  was  started  in  1835.  The  New  Era,  by  Locke  and 
Price,  followed  m  1836.  From  5,000  to  30,000  copies  of  some  of  the 
penny  papers  are  sold  daily.  A  large  proportion  of  these  go  into  the 
handset  those  who  take  no  other  paper ;  and  who,  were  it  not  for  their 

*  This  name  is  derived  from  an  Indian  chief  or  saint,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been 
ahve  as  late  as  the  year  1680.  Mr.  Heckwelder.  in  his  History,  says  STali  that  TknowS 
ot  him  IS  that  he  was  a  Delaware  chief,  who  never  had  his  equal.  The  fame  of  thia 
great  man  extended  even  among  the  whites,  who  fabricated  numerous  legends  respectinir 
him  which  I  never  heard,  however,  from  the  mouth  of  an  Indian,  and  therefore  believe  to 
be  tabulous.  In  the  revolutionary  war,  his  enthusiastic  admirers  dubbed  him  a  saint,  and 
he  was  established,  under  the  name  of  St.  Tammany,  the  patron  saint  of  America.  His 
name  was  inserted  m  some  calendars,  and  his  festival  celebrated  on  the  first  day  of  May  in 

i"*'"^  r.l'"  .  ^'"'*,l*y  *  ".T"""!*  ^°"*'y  °^^^^  ^"^""^s  walked  together  in  procession 
through  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  their  hats  decorated  with  bucks'  tails,  and  proceeded  to 
a  handsome  rural  place  out  of  town,  which  they  called  the  wigwam;  where,  after  a  Img 
(U(K,  or  Indian   Rnp.nrh    huH   hpon  {l°l>v«~/1   -"'I   .u- -_].,_,..  .? jr.      .,.     .^ 

been  duly  smoked,  they  spent  the  day  in  festivity  and  mirth." 


200 


NEW   YOtR   COUNTT. 


cheapness,  would  be  destitute,  in  a  great  measure,  of  correct  informa- 
tion respecting  public  events.  It  is  estimated  that  about  620,000 
newspapers  are  issued  in  the  city  every  week,  and  in  the  course  of 
the  year  upwards  of  thirty-two  millions. 


The  Battery,  and  Castk  Garden. 

**  The  Battery. — This  beautiful  promenade  is  situated  at  the  south- 
west end  of  the  island,  and  junction  of  the  North  and  East  rivers, 
and  possesses  attractions  unsurpassed,  perhaps,  by  any  other  similar 
place  of  resort  in  the  world,  justlv  commanding  the  admiration  of 
every  visiter.  It  is  in  full  view  ot  the  bay  and  surrounding  scenery 
of  Long  Island,  Staten  Island,  New  Jersey,  and  the  islands  in  the 
harbor.  From  no  one  point  can  a  better  idea  be  formed  of  the  mag- 
nitude of  the  commerce  of  the  city ;  the  numerous  ships,  steam- 
boats, and  small  vessels,  that  are  constantly  entering  and  departing 
from  the  port,  forming  a  scene  of  stirring  interest.  Of  the  bay  itself, 
we  deem  if.  appropriate  in  this  place  to  quote  the  language  of  a  late 
English  tourist. 

"  ♦  I  have  never  seen  the  bay  of  Naples,  I  can  therefore  make  no 
comparison ;  but  my  imagination  is  incapable  of  conceiving  any  thing 
more  beautiful  than  the  harbor  of  New  York.  Various  and  lovely 
are  the  objects  which  meet  the  eye  on  every  side ;  but  the  naming 
them  would  only  be  to  give  a  list  of  words,  without  conveying  the 
faintest  idea  of  the  scene.  I  doubt  if  even  the  pencil  of  Turner  could 
do  it  justice,  bright  and  glorious  as  it  rose  upon  us.  We  seemed  to 
enter  the  harbor  of  New  York  upon  waves  of  liquid  gold ;  and  as 
we  dashed  past  the  gieen  isles  which  rise  from  its  bosom  like  guar- 
dian sentinels  of  the  fair  city,  the  setting  sun  stretched  his  horizontal 
beams  further  and  further,  at  each  moment,  as  if  to  point  out  to  us 
some  new  glory  in  the  landscape.* 

"  The  Battery  extends  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  from 

the  northwest,  to  Whitehall-street,  on  the  east,  covering  an  area  of 


NEW   TOBK  OOUNTT. 


901 


Dearly  11  acres,  and  laid  out  in  grass-plots  and  gravel  walks,  shaded 
with  trees.  The  exterior,  fronting  the  hjurbor,  is  built  up  with  hewn 
stone ;  and  on  this  side  is  a  paved  walk,  with  stone  posts  connected 
with  a  neat  open  railing.  An  expensive  iron  railing,  with  gateways, 
extends  along  the  intienor  front." 

"  Originally  this  point  of  land  was  fortified  by  the  Dutch,  who 
threw  up  embankments,  upon  which  they  placed  some  pieces  of 
cannon.  •  In  process  of  time,*  says  Knickerbocker,  •  it  came  to  be 
pleasantly  overrun  by  a  verdant  carpet  of  grass  and  clover,  and 
their  high  embankments  overshaded  by  wide-spreading  sycamores, 
among  whose  foliage  the  little  birds  sported  about,  rejoicing  the  ear 
with  their  melodious  notes.  The  old  burghers  would  repair  of  an 
afternoon  to  smoke  their  pipes  under  the  shade  of  their  branches, 
contemplating  the  golden  sun,  as  he  gradually  sunk  in  the  west,  an 
emblem  of  that  tranquil  end  towards  which  themselves  were  hasten- 
ing ;  while  the  young  men  and  the  damsels  of  the  town  would  take 
many  a  moonlight  stroll  among  these  favorite  haunts,  watching  the 
chaste  Cynthia  tremble  along  the  calm  bosom  of  the  bay,  or  light  up 
the  white  sail  of  some  gliding  bark,  and  interchanging  the  honest 
vows  of  constant  affection.  Such  was  the  origin  ofthat  renowned 
walk,  the  Battery,  which  though  ostensibly  devoted  to  the  purposes 
of  war,  has  ever  been  consecrated  to  the  sweet  delights  of  peace : 
The  favorite  walk  of  declining  age;  the  healthful  resort  of  the  feeble 
iiivalid ;  the  Sunday  refreshment  of  the  dusty  tradesman ;  the  scene 
of  manv  a  boyish  gambol ;  the  rendezvous  of  many  a  tender  assigna- 
tion ;  the  comfort  of  the  citizen  ;  the  ornament  of  New  York,  and 
the  pride  of  the  lovely  island  of  Mannahatta.' " 

**  Castle  Garden. — On  a  mole,  connected  with  the  Battery  by  a 
bridge,  is  situated  Castle  Garden,  originally  erected  for  a  fortification, 
and  used  for  that  purpose  until  1823,  when  it  was  ceded  by  the 
United  States  to  the  corporation  of  this  city,  since  which  it  has  been 
leased  for  a  place  of  public  amusement  or  recreation.  On  the  top  of 
the  walls,  a  walk,  covered  by  an  awning,  has  been  constructed,  from 
whence  a  fine  view  of  the  harbor  and  adjacent  scenery  is  obtained. 
Within  the  walls  over  ten  thousand  people  may  be  accommodated, 
and  concerts  and  fireworks  are  occasionally  given." 

"  Vauxhall  Garden — Is  situated  near  the  junction  of  the  Bowery 
and  Broadway,  fronting  on  the  former,  and  is  at  present  a  place  of 
great  resort  in  summer.  On  the  evenings  of  public  days,  fireworks 
and  other  entertainments  are  exhibited;  but  by  the  late  improve- 
ments in  that  part  of  the  city,  particularly  by  the  extension  of  Lafay- 
ette place  through  the  garden,  its  dimensions  have  been  much  les- 
sened. 

NiBLo's  Garden — Is  one  of  the  most  fashionable  places  of  resort 
in  the  city,  during  the  s'immer  months.  It  has  been  laid  out  with 
great  taste,  and  when  open  to  the  public,  is  handsomely  lighted,  and 
decorated  with  paintings,  mirrors,  &c.    The  walks  are  bordered 

26 


202 


NEW   YOSK   OOUNTT. 


uonally  exhibited ;  and  in  the  saloon,  which  is  a  very  tasteful  an< 
airy  building,  theatrical  and  musical  entertainments  are  given." 

"Amebican  Museum. — This  excellent  institution  was  founded  in 
1810,  by  the  late  John  Scudder,  by  whose  arduous  efforts,  and  the 
persevering  exertions  of  its  more  recent  proprietors,  it  has  arose  to 
its  present  nigh  standing.  It  continues  daily  to  improve  in  every  de- 
partment, by  extensive  and  valuable  additions  of  the  works  of  nature 
and  artificial  curiosities,  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  Its  immense 
collections  are  well  arranged  and  beautifully  displayed  in  four  spa- 
cious saloons,  each  one  hundred  feet  in  length ;  in  addition  to  which 
another  apartment  has  recently  been  added  of  still  larger  dimensions. 
The  Grand  Cosmorama  of  this  establishment  is  truly  a  most  splendid 
affair,  which  for  extent  of  glasses  and  magnificence  of  views,  is  not 
surpassed  in  this  or  any  other  country.  The  views  embrace  a  great 
variety  of  subjects,  and  were  all  executed  expressly  by  Italian  artists 
of  eminence  in  their  profession.  No  labor  or  expense  has  been 
spared  to  render  this  establishment  well  deserving  a  continuance  of 
that  liberal  and  distinguished  patronage  it  has  always  received. 
The  building  is  very  high,  and  from  its  observatory  may  be  enjoyed 
some  of  the  finest  views  in  the  city,  and  of  the  beautiful  bay  and  sur- 
rounding country.  The  halls  are  well  warmed  and  ventilated,  and 
at  evening  brilliantly  lighted  with  gas,  altogether  forming  a  very  in- 
viting, agreeable  lounge,  and  at  the  same  time,  a  place  for  serious 
contemplation  and  amusement,  to  those  who  delight  in  the  study  of 
the  wonderful  works  of  nature. 

"  Peale's  Museum  and  Gallery  of  Fine  Arts. — This  establish- 
ment was  founded  in  the  year  1825,  and  has  increased  with  aston- 
ishing rapidity.  It  contains  four  spacious  apartments,  which  are 
arranged  in  the  following  order:  The  1st  contains  specimens  of 
Natural  History  in  all  its  branches,  and  its  beauty  of  arrangement, 
and  the  exquisite  style  in  which  the  articles  are  mounted,  renders  it 
one  of  the  most  interesting  places  of  public  amusement  in  the  country. 
The  2d  is  a  large  and  valuable  collection  of  Paintings,  by  eminent 
artists,  amongst  which  may  be  particularly  mentioned  a  Portrait  of 
Napoleon,  by  Le  Fevre ;  a  Magdalen,  by  Le  Bron,  together  with 
Portraits  of  at  least  150  celebrated  citizens  and  foreigners.  The  3d 
contains  a  very  superior  Cosmorama,  several  Wax  Figures  of  good 
workmanship.  Fossils,  Shells,  Minerals,  and  Miscellaneous  Curiosities." 

There  are  five  theatres  in  the  city,  viz :  Park  Theatre,  Bowery, 
Chatham,  Little  Drury,  and  Olympic.  The  National  Theatre  was 
burnt  down  the  present  year,  (1841.) 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  periodical  publications  issued  in  the 
city  ol  New  York. 

"Quarterly  publications. — Literary  and  Theological  Review, 
Naval  Magazine,  New  York  Review  and  Quarterly  Church  Journal, 
New  York  Quarterly  Magazine,  Quarterly  Anti-Slavery  Magazine, 
Quarterly  Christian  Spectator,  Tailors'  Magazine,  United  Brethren's 
Missionary  Intelligencer. 


NEW    YOKK   COUNTV. 


908 


^  "Monthly  pullicationb.— American  Monthly  Magazine,  Anti- 
Slavery  Record,  Children's  Magazine,  Home  Missionary  and  Pastor's 
Journal,  Human  Rights,  Journ&l  of  the  American  Institute,  Knicker- 
bocker Magazme,  Ladies'  Companion,  La  Revue  Francais,  (French) 
Mechanics'  Maprazine,  Missionary  Herald,  Mothers'  Magazine,  Mer- 
chants' Magazine,  National  Preacher,  New  York  Farmer  and  Amer- 
ican Gardner's  Magazine,  Parley's  Magazine,  Sailor's  Magazine, 
Sunday  School  Visiter,  Tract  Magazine,  Youth's  Friend,  Family 
Magazme.  ' 


View  of  the  Astor  House,  Broadway. 

This  splendid  hotel,  furnished  with  magnificence  and  taste,  corres- 
ponding to  its  grandeur  and  simplicity,  is  the  largest  in  the  country, 
if  not  in  the  world.  It  was  erected  by  John  Jacob  Astor,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  about  a  million  of  dollars,  and  opened  May  31st,  1836.  It 
is  built  of  Quincy  granite,  in  a  style  remarkably  massive,  simple,  and 
chaste,  fronts  201  feet  on  Broadway,  directly  opposite  the  park,  164 
on  Barclay-street,  and  146i  on  Vesey-streei.  It  is  77  feet  in  height. 
The  dining-room  on  Barclay-street  is  100  feet  by  40,  and  19i  high. 
'The  house  contains  at  times  about  500  persons,  and  the  basement  is 
distributed  into  stores;  and  thus  the  establishment  forms  of  itself,  like 
the  Palais  Royal  of  Paris,  an  almost  independent  colony. 

The  annexed  account  of  the  completion  of  the  line  Canal,  Octofber 
20th,  1825,  and  the  celebration  of  the  event  in  New  York  city,  is  ex- 
tracted from  newspapers  published  at  the  time, 

"  The  cannl  connecting  the  great  lakes  of  North  Aipenca  witl^  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  is 
finished.  On  Wednesday,  at  10  o'elook,  A,  M.,  the  waters  of  ^jake  Erie  ware  admitted  at 
Bufialck,  and  the  first  boat  froni  the  lake  cominenped  its  voyage  to  New  York.  This  joyful 
«ven(  was  announced  to  the  citizens  of  the  stpte  by  the  ^oar  of  cannon  planted  in  a  contin. 
Ved  line  along  the  banks  of  the  canal  and  of  the  ^udson.  at  intervals  of  about  eight  miles, 
tnd  extending  from  Buffalo  (q  ^ndy  Ifook,  a  distance  ot  about  544  miles.  The  cannon 
were  fired  in  succession,  commencing  at  Buffalo  at  the  moment  of  the  entrance  of  the  boat 
inta  'i^  CMWt,  and  the  intemgence  thus  copmunicat^^,  reached  this  city  precisely  at  twenty 
minutes  past  eleven  o'clock,  at  which  time  a  national  salute  was  fired  from  the  battery,  and 
this  acknowie4(|ement  that  ^e  had  received  the  intelligence  was  then  immediately  returned 
by  the  same  line  of  cannoi^  \o  Buffalo',    Thus  the  work  is  finished ;  the  longest  canal  in 


'l*;'^-.u..'i:-*.i«'. 


9M 


NEW   YORK   COUNTY. 


dw  world  u  eompleted,  and  completed  in  the  •hort  space  of  eight  yean,  by  the  single  state 
of  New  York,  a  state  which  seventy  yeara  ago  waa  a  wilderness,  thinly  peopled  by  a  littU 
more  than  100,000  souls." 

CANAL  CELEBRATION. 
"  The  splendid  exhibition  in  honor  of  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal  took  place  on 
FViday  of  last  week,  Nov.  4th.  For  several  days  previouo,  strangers  from  every  part  of  the 
Burroonding  country  had  been  crowding  into  the  city  to  witness  the  interesting  event.  The 
day  was  remarkably  pleasant,  and  favorable  for  the  display.  The  following  account 
of  the  ceremonies  which  took  place  is  from  the  Daily  Advertiser : — 

"  The  &ci«ti««.— The  procession  formed  agreeably  to  arrangement,  and  about  half-past 
ten,  moved  down  the  west  side  of  Greenwich-street  to  the  battery,  where  it  wheeled  and 
passed  up  the  eaat  side  of  Greenwich-street,  Sec,  in  the  following  order : 

"  At  the  head  were  four  buglemen  on  horseback,  who  preceded  the— Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  Societies,  many  of  v.'hose  members  wore  nosegays. — The  Journeymen  Tai- 
Ion. — ^The  Butchen,  mounted  and  wearing  aprons,  with  the  banners  of  their  society,  and  3 
can,  each  drawn  by  4  horses.  The  first  was  covered  with  a  roof,  decorated,  and  contained 
a  calf  and  a  sheep ;  the  other  a  fine  white  ox  and  4  large  sheep,  and  over  it,  on  a  second 
■tage,  a  stuffed  ox,  with  several  butchers'  boys. — The  Tanners'  boys. — The  Tanners  had  a 
car  drawn  by  four  horses,  in  which  were  several  men  at  work  tanning  and  currying  leather, 
with  hides  h»nging  overhead.  The  Skinners  followed  with  a  banner,  and  then  came 
another  banner  with  four  horses,  where  a  number  of  morocco  dressera  were  at  work  on 
■kins  of  all  colon. — The  Cordwainera  had  also  a  car  drawn  by  4  horses,  on  which  were  6 
or  8  men  seated  at  their  benches,  making  shoes — The  Hatten'  Society  had  a  laige  banner 
with  a  portrait  of  St.  Clement,  and  a  car  drawn  by  six  horses,  containing  a  shop,  in  which 
eight  men  were  at  work  at  the  kettle,  and  others  employed  in  the  different  operations  of 
hat-making.  A  great  number  of  small  banners  succeeded,  bearing  the  names  of  the 
western  Lakes,  great  and  small,  and  those  of  the  principal  towns  in  the  western  part  of  the 
state  and  country ;  34  boys  marching  under  the  bannera  bearing '  Washington,'  the  *  United 
States  of  America,'  and  a  portrait  of  Gov.  Clinton,  represented  the  states  of  the  Union. 
In  a  barouche  rode  the  two  oldest  hattera  and  joiuneymen  hatten  in  the  city.  Banner — 
*  The  heart  is  devoted  to  our  country.' — The  Bakers,  with  white  hats. — The  Journeymen 
Masons  came  next,  and  then  the  Coopen,  with  a  car  in  which  men  were  at  work  on  bar- 
relfl,  &.C. — The  Chairmakeis  had  a  large  chair  over  their  banner,  with  two  eagles  following, 
one  large  and  gilt,  with  a  miniature  chair  in  his  mouth. — ^The  Potters  came  next,  and  then 
the  Saddlen,  with  a  pair  of  horses  in  harness,  and  3  fine  white  ones  with  ladies',  gentle, 
men's,  and  military  saddles,  all  of  the  moat  superb  workmanship.  The  horses  were  led  by 
blacks  in  rich  Moorish  costumes — the  insignia,  implements,  &c.,  followed,  with  a  rocking. 
horae  saddled  and  bridled. — ^The  Shipwrights  had  the  model  of  a  line  of  battle  ship,  mount, 
ed  on  wheels,  and  drawn  by  eight  horses.  The  officers  and  crew  were  represented  by  boys 
in  gay  dresses,  and  flags  and  ensigns  were  hoisted  on  board.  A  banner  bore  '  Commerce  m 
owraf  and  a  great  number  of  others  succeeded,  on  >%hich  were  the  names  of  our  distin. 
guished  naval  commanden. — The  Boat-builder's  Association  had  a  model  of  a  boat  borne 
by  a  carrier,  and  another  drawn  by  hones.  A  car  drawn  by  four  horses,  contained  two 
kalf.finished  boats  of  considerable  size,  at  which  the  workmen  were  employed,  while 
■moke  was  coming  from  the  chimney  where  they  warped  their  plank  and  timber. — The 
Rope-makera  had  a  ropewalk,  in  which  a  number  of  men  and  boys  were  employed  in  spin, 
ning  and  laying,  all  drawn  by  four  horses.— -The  Comb.makera  had  also  a  shop,  and  men  at 
work,  &c.,  and  afler  them  came  the  General  Society  of  Mechanics ;  the  Cabinet-makers 
with  specimens  of  furniture,  and  the  Apprentices'  Library  Association. — The  New  York 
Fire  Department  was  represented  by  eight  companies,  Nos.  20,  43,  15, 13,  41,  33,  7,  and 
4,  with  dieir  engines,  and  several  hook  and  ladder  companies,  with  their  implements  raised 
aloft,  and  handsomely  decorated. — The  Printen'  Society  had  a  car  drawn  by  hones,  on 
which  were  mounted  two  presses.  These  were  kept  in  operation,  striking  off  copies  of 
an  Ode,  which  were  distributed  to  the  people  from  the  car. — The  Book-binders  had  a  large 
volume  bound  in  red  morocco  and  gilt,  labelled  '  Erie  Canal  Statistics.' — After  a  full  band 
of  musicians  in  dresses  of  scarlet  and  gold,  came  the  membere  of  Columbia  College,  dress, 
ed  in  their  Academic  gowns ;  and  then  a  great  number  of  military  officcre,  and  soldiera 
fi-om  the  different  city  companies,  followed  by  the  Society  of  Free  Masons. — The  Tin  Plate 
Worken  had  a  car  drawn  by  four  gray  hones,  with  a  model  of  some  of  the  locks  on  the 
canal, — a  Canal  boat,  barge,  &c.,  made  of  tin. 

"  Aquatic  Procession. — At  eight  o'clock  the  citizens  were  seen  crowding  in  all  directions 
on  board  the  various  steamboats  which  were  Annniinc.ed  to  compose  the  fleet  which  was  to 
proceed  to  the  ocean.    1'he  steamboat  Washington,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Bunker, 


s 


NEW   YO«K   COUNTY. 


305 


single  state 
d  by  a  litUa 


ok  place  on 
y  part  of  the 
event.  The 
ing  account 

out  half-paat 
Krheeled  and 

icultoral  and 
leymen  Tai. 
fciety,  and  3 
nd  contained 
on  a  second 
mners  had  a 
ying  leather, 
1  then  came 
)  at  work  on 
rhich  were  6 
large  banner 
op,  in  which 
operations  of 
antes  of  the 
n  part  of  the 
the  *  United 
f  the  Union. 
.  Banner — 
Journeymen 
MTork  on  bar. 
es  following, 
ixt,  and  then 
dies',  gentle. 
i  were  led  by 
th  a  rocking, 
ship,  mount, 
inted  by  boys 
Commerce  ia 
of  our  distin. 
a  boat  borne 
antained  two 
loyed,  while 
imber. — The 
oyed  in  spin. 
),  and  men  at 
bineUmakera 
e  New  York 
1,  33,  7,  and 
sments  raised 
yy  horses,  on 
off  copies  of 
a  had  a  large 
it  a  full  band 
'Ollege,  dress. 
,  and  soldiere 
'he  Tin  Plate 
locks  on  the 

all  directions 
whjrh  was  to 
)apt.  Bunker, 


took  the  lead,  on  board  of  which  the  Hon.  the  Corporation,  with  the  aoeiety  of  Cineinnafi. 
ttie  Rev.  Clergy,  of  all  denominations,  the  Army  and  Naval  officem— all  the  comuto  of 
Foreign  nations— the  judges  of  all  our  courts  and  many  other  citizens  ana  strangera  were 
guests.  The  steamboats  Fulton,  James  Kent,  Chancellor  Livingston,  and  several  others 
were  also  employed  by  the  corporation  to  receive  other  guests,  aU  which  were  filled  with 
our  most  distuiguialied  citwens— The  safety  barges  Lady  Clinton  and  Lady  Van  Renase 
laer,  were  most  tastefully  festooned  with  evergreens  and  flowers,  and  virere  exchisively  ap 
propnated  to  the  ladies.  At  about  10  o'clock  the  signal  was  given  for  departure,  and  the 
boats  ail  proceeded  up  the  East  river,  and  formed  in  a  Une,  accompanied  by  the  canal  boats, 
when  they  wore  roftnd  and  proceeded  down  the  bay.  As  the  fleet  passed  the  Battery  they 
were  saluted  By  the  miUtary,  the  revenue  cutter,  and  the  castle  on  Governor's  Island.  Aj 
they  proceeded,  they  were  joined  by  the  ship  Hamlet,  which  had  previously  been  dressed 
lor  the  occasion  with  the  flags  of  all  nations,  and  on  board  of  which  were  the  Marine  and 
Nautical  societies,  composed  of  all  out  most  respectable  shipmasters.  As  the  fleet  passed 
the  NaiTOws,  they  were  saluted  by  Forts  Lafayette  and  Tompkins.  They  then  proceeded 
to  the  United  States  schooner  Dolphin,  moored  within  Sandy  Hook,  where  Gov.  Chnton 
went  through  the  ceremony  of  uniting  the  waters,  by  pouring  that  of  Lake  Erie  into  the 

Atlantic ;  upon-  which  he  delivered  the  following  addreae : 

V'Thia  solemnity  at  this  place  on  the  first  arrival  (  easels  from  Lake  Erie,  is  intended 
to  mdicate  and  commemorate  the  navigable  communi.  on,  which  has  been  accomplished 
between  our  Mediterranean  aeaa  and  the  AUantic  Oc  i,  in  eight  years,  to  the  extent  of 
more  than  four  hundred  and  twenty.five  miles,  by  the  wisdom,  public  spirit,  and  enerey  of 
the  people  of  the  state  of  New  York ;  and  may  the  God  of  the  Heavens  and  the  earth  smile 
moat  propitiously  on  the  work,  and  render  it  subservient  to  the  best  interests  of  the  human 
wee.  Ur.  Mitchell  then  poured  the  contents  of  several  vials,  which  he  stated  contained 
the  waters  of  the  Elbe,  Sec.  &c.,  and  delivered  a  long  address,  but  the  crowd  was  so  great 
that  but  few  were  able  to  hear  any  part  of  it.  The  Hon.  Mr.  Golden  presented  to  his  honor 
the  Mayor,  a  naemoir  which  contains  a  brief  history  of  the  canal  from  its  commencement 
to  the  present  day.  Salutes  were  then  fired  from  the  revenue  cutter,  the  pilot  boats,  and 
several  of  the  steamboats,  and  the  procession  returned  to  the  city. 

"  On  the  return  from  the  excursion  to  Sandy  Hook,  the  atmosphere  was  nearly  clear,  and 
the  appearance  of  the  steamboats  was  truly  magnificent.  Here  were  26  of  these  vessels, 
splendidly  equipped  and  decorated,  moving  in  the  most  majestic  manner,  aU  crowded  with 
passengers,  and  arranged  in  the  most  striking  order.  The  packet  ship  Hamlet,  which  was 
generously  ofiered  by  Capt.  Chandler  for  the  use  of  the  Marine  and  Nautical  societies,  made 
a  splendid  appearance,  towed  along  in  the  line  by  steamboats,  with .'  er  masts  and  liaioBt 
decorated  by  a  fine  display  of  flags  of  all  nations. 

"Persons  abroad  may  judge  of  the  splendor  of  the  celebration,  when  it  is  stated  that 
there  were  displayed  among  the  diflerent  societies,  upwards  of  900  banners  and  standards 
—many  of  them  extremely  splendid,  and  a  large  number  painted  expressly  for  the  occasion. 
1  J  "  ,^""  pleasure  we  state  that  the  two  British  packets  now  at  anchor  in  our  port,  sa. 
luted  and  cheered  the  line  of  steamboats  as  they  passed;  instances  of  good  feeling  of  this 
description  should  not  be  omitted  to  be  recorded.  The  band  in  return  played  '  God  save 
the  king.'  The  whole  line  of  steamboats  landed  their  passengers  at  3  o'clock,  in  time  for 
them  to  form  and  join  the  procession  of  their  fellow.citizenB. 

"  The  festivities  were  concluded  by  fireworks  in  the  evening,  at  the  Battery,  City  Hall, 
and  Vauxhall  Garden,  and  by  illuminations  of  some  of  the  principal  buildings  in  the  city.— 
the  City  Hall  City  Hotel,  Theatre,  Sikes'  Hotel,  &c.  A  large  transparency  was  exhibited 
at  the  City  Hall,  representing  the  introduction  of  Neptune  to  the  Lady  of  the  Lakes  by 
the  Genius  of  America. 

"We  cannot  help  expressing  our  gratification,  at  observing  among  the  thousands  we  saw 
in  the  streets  durmg  the  day  and  evening,  hardly  a  single  instance  of  intoxication,  and  not 
one  of  unpleasant  disturbance ;  and  so  far  as  we  could  leam,  no  accident  happened  to  mar 
the  fesuvities  of  the  day."       .  f  r*-  « 

Cboxon  Aqdkduct.— This  great  work,  designed  for  the  supply  of  the  city  of  New  York 
with  pure  and  wholesome  water,  is  at  present  constructing.  Its  whole  length  is  40i  miles. 
It  IS  a  long  bnck  vault  stretching  from  Croton  to  New  York,  descending  at  the  rate  of 
nearly  14  inches  to  the  mile.  Its  dimensions  are  about  6  feet  at  bottom,  7  feet  at  top,  and 
Irom  8  to  10  feet  m  height.  The  foundation  is  of  stone,  well  laid,  and  the  interstices  filled 
up  with  rubble,  and  over  this  a  bed  of  concrete  composed  of  cement,  broken  stone  and 
gravel,  in  due  proportions,  well  mixed  and  combined  together,  except  where  the  earth  is 
ot  a  compact  and  dry  consistence,  when  the  atone  foundetton  is  omitted^  and  the  bed  of 
concrete  laidcm  the  earth  foundation.    The  side  walk  are  of  good  buUding  atone,  3& 


206 


NEW    YORK   COUNTY. 


InchM  thick  at  bottom,  and  97  inchet  at  top.  Thew  walla  are  laid  in  regular  couriea.  The 
bottom  of  the  aqueduct  ia  an  inverted  arch,  and  the  roof  a  aemtcircle ;  both  archea  are 
formed  of  brick*  All  the  materiaU  uacd  are  the  moat  perfect  of  their  kind,  and  every  poe. 
aible  paina  taken  in  the  conatruction,  .     r  .      .  xi       •  . 

The  work  commencea  a:  Croton,  about  5  milea  above  the  mouth  of  the  nver.  Mere  la  to 
be  the  dam  which  will  back  the  river  foraeveral  milea,  and  w'"  cover,  excluaive  of  itaprea. 
ent  bed,  5  or  600  acrea,  and  thua  form  the  great  reaervoir,  which  wUl  contain  100,000,000 
of  gallona  for  each  foot  in  depth  from  the  surface.  Inasmuch  aa  the  aqueduct  la  to 
maintain  a  uniform  descent,  exteneive  excavations  or  tunnela  in  paaaing  through  hilla  and 
heavy  embankmenta,  with  culvertt  in  crossing  valleys,  are  required.  Several  of  the  tunnela 
are  cut  through  solid  rock  at  an  enormous  expense.  The  longest  tunnel  la  the  Manhattan 
hill  tunnel  near  the  village  of  Manhattanville,  on  New  York  Island ;  it  la  l^llS  feet  m 

In  croaeing  the  Harlaem  river  the  aqueduct  encountera  its  moat  formidable  impediment. 
"  Owing  to  the  great  depression  of  the  atream  below  the  grade  line,  and  the  peculiar  in- 
clinationa  of  ita  banks,  the  length  of  the  aqueduct  bridge  will  greatly  exceed  the  width  of 
the  strait  at  ita  surface,  (680  feet.)  The  bridge  will  be  1,480  feet  jn  length,  between  the 
pipe  chambers  at  either  end  ;  18  feet  in  width,  inside  of  the  parapet  waJUa ;  and  27  feet  be. 
tween  the  outer  edges  of  the  coping ;  16  piers,  bailt  of  stone  laid  in  courses  of  uniform 
thickness.  Of  these,  6  will  be  in  the  river,  and  10  on  the  land,  (8  of  which  will  be  on  the 
Weetcheater  side  of  the  strait.)  The  river  piera  will  be  80  by  40  feet  at  base,  and  84  feet 
in  height,  to  the  spring  of  the  arch ;  diminiahing  aa  they  rise  in  height.  The  archea  will 
have  a  span  of  80  feet.  The  land  piers  will  be  froportionably  less  in  siie,  their  height  va- 
rying  according  to  the  slope  of  the  banks,  and  the  span  of  these  arches  will  be  50  feet  each. 

"  The  central  height  of  the  arches  over  the  stream  is  to  be  100  feet  above  high-water 
level,  in  the  clear ;  and  the  distance  from  high  tide  to  the  top  of  the  parapet  walla  will  be 
116  feet.  The  total  elevation  of  the  atructure,  from  its  base  at  the  bottom  of  the  strait  to 
the  top  of  the  parapet,  will  be  about  138  feet.  The  piers  and  abutments  will  be  carried  up 
with  pilasters  to  the  top  of  the  parapet,  with  a  projection  of  two  feet  beyond  the  face  of 
the  work.  Those  piers  to  be  erected  in  the  water,  will  commence  with  solid  rock,  upon 
which  the  earthy  bed  of  the  stream  reposes.    The  estimated  coat  of  this  atructure  ia 

•755,130.  ,    ,  .„  ,.    ,    J  J 

"  The  bridge  ia  intended  for  the  support  of  iron  pipes ;  and  these  will  be  laid  down,  in 
the  firat  instance,  two  or  three  feet  diameter,  which  it  is  supposed  will  be  adequate  for  the 
supply  of  water  to  the  city,  for  many  years  to  come.  The  work  however  will  be  so  ar- 
ranged,  aa  to  admit  the  introduction,  at  any  time  hereafter,  of  two  four-feet  pipes,  whose 
capacity  will  be  equal  to  that  of  the  grand  trunk.  The  pipes  will  be  protected  from  the 
action  of  the  frost,  by  a  covering  of  earth  four  feet  in  depth,  well  sodded  on  the  surface. 
The  aqueduct  will  discharge  ita  water  into  the  northern  pipe  chamber,  whence  it  will  pass 
over  the  bridge  into  the  southern  chamber,  where  the  aqueduct  resumes  ita  course  towards 
the  city.  At  the  distance  of  half  a  mile,  the  line  crosses  a  ravine  of  30  feet  to  the  top  line 
of  the  embankment ;  and  at  a  short  distance  beyond,  it  entera  the  Jumel  tunnel,  334  feet 
in  length ;  and  6J  miles  from  the  city.  A  ravine  is  passed  soon  after  leaving  the  tunnel, 
sis  feet  below  the  grade  line;  and  soon  after,  another,  still  more  formidable,  presents  itself; 
which  required  a  foundation  of  30  feet  to  elevate  it  to  the  grade. 

"  The  water  will  be  conducted  over  the  Manhattan  valley  by  means  of  iron  pipes  or  in- 
verted  syphons.  The  depression  of  the  valley  is  105  feet  below  the  grade  line,  nnd  ar. 
rangementa  of  pipe  chambers,  on  each  side  of  the  valley,  similar  to  that  at  HarUem  strait, 
will  be  adopted  here.  The  pipes  are  to  be  laid  on  a  foundation  of  stone,  covered  with  a 
couiae  of  concrete  masonry,  six  inches  thick.  After  the  pipes  are  laid,  concrete  ia  to  be 
worked  under  them,  as  a  support,  18  inches  wide,  and  12  high ;  and  the  whole  ia  to  be 
protected  with  a  covering  of  earth,  to  guard  'gainst  frost  and  other  injury.  The  aqueduct 
having  terminated  at  one  pipe  chamber,  on  Manhattan  hills,  it  recommences  at  another  on 
the  Asylum  Hill ;  and  after  proceeding  a  short  distance  southward,  enters  the  Asylum  Hill 
tunnel  640  feet  in  length,  which  ia  the  laat.  About  three  miles  from  the  southern  terminus 
of  this  Herculean  work,  the  aqueduct  commences  ita  passage  over  several  streets,  the  grading 
of  which  has  a  mean  depression  below  that  of  the  aqueduct,  of  about  40  feet ;  this  vale  is 
to  be  passed  by  a  bridge  of  a  corresponding  height.  The  line  of  aqueduct  runa  100  feet 
east  of  the  Ninth  avenue ;  and  on  the  land,  extending  from  one  street  to  the  other,  a 
foundation  wall  is  to  be  built  of  sufficient  widdi  and  height  to  support  the  aqueduct.  Over 
the  carriage  way  and  aide.walka  of  each  street,  there  will  be  circular  arches  turned.  Nine, 
ty-sixth  street,  being  100  feet  wide,  will  have  two  arches  of  27  feet  span,  for  the  carriage 
and  one  arch  of  14  feet  span,  on  each  side,  for  the  sidewalks.  The  other  streets 
only  60  feet  in  width,  will  each  have  an  arch  of  30  feet  span  for  the  carriage  way, 

ic  breadth  over  the  archea  to  be  24  feet. 


wav: 


and  one  on  each  i 


; span. 


I 

C 

C 

fi 
c 

cl 

V 

t£ 

ii] 


J 


New    TOKK   COUNTY. 


couNM.  The 
3th  archei  are 
[nd  every  poa. 

ir.  Here  it  to 
ve  of  ilii  pres. 
[1 100,000,000 
queduct  is  to 
)ugh  hill*  and 
of  the  tunnela 
he  Manhattan 
1 1,315  feet  in 

e  impediment. 
lie  peculiar  in. 
1  the  width  of 
1,  between  the 
ind  37  feet  be> 
les  of  uniform 
will  be  on  the 
le,  and  84  feet 
'he  arches  will 
heir  height  ra- 
te 50  feet  each. 
)ve  high-water 
t  walla  will  be 
Df  the  strait  to 
1  be  carried  up 
nd  the  face  of 
ilid  rock,  upon 
is  structure  is 

I  laid  down,  in 
{equate  for  the 
r  will  be  so  ar- 
it  pipes,  whose 
ected  from  the 
on  the  surface, 
ice  it  will  pass 
course  towards 
to  the  top  line 
innel,  334  feet 
ing  the  tunnel, 
presents  itself; 

on  pipes  or  in. 
le  line,  nnd  ar. 
Eiarldem  strait, 
covered  with  a 
increte  is  to  be 
whole  is  to  be 
The  aqueduct 
a  at  another  on 
le  Asylum  Hill 
thern  terminus 
Bts,  the  grading 
et ;  this  vale  is 
t  runs  100  feet 
o  the  other,  a 
lueduct.  Over 
turned.  Nine- 
or  the  carriage 
le  other  streets 
)  carriage  way, 
4  feet. 


wt 


venU  ators  can  be  used  as  wiuin  w«ir.  .«a  ..       """"™"  oy  marble  slabs.    Some  of  the 
portant  work  ui  1  rece"v.r  e Jrvo"    Ss  ZlnTri""'  *V''"'"'"f' '     "^he  next  im! 

feet,  being  a  fraction  less  than  14  Ses  toAe^L  "  ""'  *'  '"'°'  "'  ^'°'""'  »  "'°"'  ^^ 
detacliSeSrUXTo!' h  ml^r  L^w^etrT^^rr*''.'""'  --"'  °«^" 
JTml-^totTeSrer^^^^^^ 

1^8431  and  it  may^nd  Z'tXuy.flACZLe',  Ttmi'lTK  ^^  f'"'^  °' 
proposed  to  erect  a  temporary  onduit  Dine  of  suitahK.;. 7  '''""'"'''»  *i8  delay,  it  is 
dams  at  Harlaem  will  ndndt  6{  it   by  wh  ch  L?nT^t  '*'."'«"'"°"?'  "  «?«"  ««  the  coffer 


Northern  view  of  Harlem  Tunnel 
^^/'[^'^^^Yorkmlk  6,  and  Manhattanville  9  miles  from  the  City 

dtv  limftr  TAr^^'7"  Manh^«^^I«I^d.  and  included  within  the 
city  limits.  The  New  York  and  Harlem  railroad  commences  at  the 
City  Hall  and  extends  to  Fordham  in  Westchester  couSy! TaVmiles 
from  the  city.  By  a  late  act  of  the  legislature,  (May  7,  1840  the 
company  have  the  privilege  of  extending  it  to  the  nortf  liie  of  West! 
Chester  county     "The  road  is  laid  wTth  a  double  tracMnl  Ttra 

7:^^ti:^^:^LZ'':'^'^^'^  ""'"'l  '-^t\by  steam  power.  Owin« 
-u  -j.^  i^cuiiai  uaiaic  ui  liiu  gTound  ana  the  necessity  for  maintain^ 
mg  a  nearly  level  grade,  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  Hne.Tong^i 


306 


N«W    TO«K   COUMTY. 


neavy  cuts  and  embankments  were  required,  which  augmented  the 
cost  of  construction  far  beyond  that  of  any  other  similar  work  in 
this  country.    The  whole  cost  of  the  work,  including  depots,  motive 
and  other  ^wer,  &c..  amounted  to  •1,100,000  or  $137,600  per  mde. 
The  receipts  for  fare  by  the  company,  during  the  year  ending  De- 
cember 81st,  1889,  were  •99,811.    Notwithstandmg  the  grea  num- 
ber of  persons  conveyed  on  this  road,  about  1,200,000  annually,  the 
directors  have  not  as  yet  declared  a  dividend,  and  up  to  the  1st  ot 
January,  1840,  the  stockholders  had  not  received  a  dollar  from  the 
work      The  tunnel  through  which  the  line  passes,  is  the  most  costly 
portion,  as  well  as  the  most  attractive  feature  of  the  road.    Among 
Se  thousands  who  are  almost  daily  conveyed  through  it,  a  vast  ma- 
ioritv  is  impelled  by  a  desire  to  examine  the  '  tunnel,'  which,  though 
excavated  at  an  immense  cost,  (•90,000,)  contributes,  in  no  small  de- 
ffree,  to  increase  the  revenues  of  the  company.    The  tunnel  is  cut 
5irou«h  solid  rock,  which  chiefly  consists  of  quartz  and  hornblende 
of  such  a  compact  texture,  that  masonry  is  entirely  dispensed  with, 
even  at  the  ends.    It  extends  along  the  Fourth  Avenue  irom  Olst  to 
»4th  streets,  and  is  595  feet  in  length,  24  in  width,  and  21  m  depth 
from  the  crown  of  the  arch.     The  fare  on  this  road  is  as  follows  :  to 
27th  street,  6^  cents ;  to  YorkviUe,  5  miles,  12i  cents ;  to  Harlem,  8 
miles,  i8f  cents  ;  and  to  Fordham,  124  miles,  25  cents. 

'«  Peter   ST'rrvESAHT, 

the  laat  of  the  Dutch  gov. 

emora  in  New  York,  de. 

■ervee  to  be  kept  in  re. 

membrance.    He  began 

his  administration  in  1 647 ; 

and  he  exerted  all  his  en. 

ergies  to  prevent  the  en. 

croachments  of  the  Eng. 
n»timiU»f  Pm»r  »Mvmme»Vtmamr*.  lish  and  Swedes,  on  the 

territory  under  his  command.  He  was  more  auec—fulwith  the  """J' »»""»  *«.f°7"-  2 
1655  be  obSted  the  Swedes,  at  a  place  in  Delaware  bay.  now  ca  led  New  Castle,  to  swear 
iueSance  to  Ae  Dutch  authority.  But  in  1664,  Colonel  Nichols  with  an  E.«hsh  fleet 
Srifed  a?New  York,  then  called  New  Amsteidam,  and  compelled  Governor  Stuyvesant 
Sd  hi  whole  colony  to  surrender  to  their  invaders.    He  however  remamed  m  the  country 

"".•^'Hiir  rins-fe'^t*!;'  fr^^trtf'ffrTamily  vault..once  constructed  within  the 
wdb  S  Se  «cond  buUt  Reformed  Dutch  church,  which,  for  pious  purposes,  he  had  buUt  at 
SwSond  eipense  on  his  own  farm.  The  church  is  gone,  but  the  place  is  occupied  by 
S^?^ent  chiS^Hf  St.  Mark.  On  the  outside  wall  of  *i»  latter  church  is  the  ongiaal 
!ltoned«^ting  the  body  of  him  whose  rank  and  tides  stood  thus  described,  to  wit : 

•  In  this  vault,  lies  buried 

PBTRUB   STUYVESANT, 

late  Captain  General  and  Commander-in-chief  of  Amsterdam, 

in  New  Netherland,  now  called  New  York,  and  the 

Dutch  West  India  Islands. 

Died  in  August,  A.D.  1682,  aged  eighty  years.'" 

"Pmup  LiTOwaroif  wa«  bom  nt  Albany,  in  January,  1716.    He  was  educated  at  Yale 
rBSLa  *«7^^^^.7_^__  ,,„  ^h„..;h  in  1737.    He  then  directed  his  attention  to 
^e^c^'^^^TiiUi^  ■^^^r<>^^'^^  compreben^v.  yiew.  laid  the 
fewdation,  and  erwted  tli»  miperirtructur*  of  extraordmary  ftotfenty. 


MW  YOIK  OOUNTT. 

"lie  commenced  hie  career  in  pubUc  Ufe  in  1764,  m  an  alderman  of  Om  Mut  waid  of 
the  city  of  New  York;  and,  m  1759,  waa  returned  by  the  freeholder*  of  tlila  oil*  aa  a 
member  of  the  aMombly.  In  thia  body,  he  aoon  became  conspicuoua  for  hia  ulento  and 
devotednee<i  to  the  mtereata  of  the  people.  In  1769,  he  declined  an  election  for  New  York 
and  waa  rettirned  a  member  of  the  houae  for  the  manor  of  Livingston.  Hia  liberal  viewa! 
and  powerful  exprtiona  m  defending  the  rights  of  the  citiiena,  aoon  after  rendered  him  ob! 
nox.oua  to  fho  governor ;  and,  aa  a  miyority  of  the  aaaembly  were  now  under  the  influence 
o»  the  crown,  hia  aeat  m  the  houae  was  vacated,  by  a  vote  of  that  body,  on  the  plea  of 
non-residi  nee.  !»««"• 

1  "'J**'- L"''"«ston  WM  chosen  n  member  of  the  firat  congreaa,  which  met  at  PhUadelphia. 
1. 1*.  He  wu»,  the  followmg  voar,  appointed  preaidcnt  of  the  provincial  congress,  aaaem. 
bled  at  New  York.  In  177(i,  m  coiyunction  with  hia  colleaguea,  he  affixed  hia  aignatura 
to  the  Declaration  of  Iiiii<|.i.ndence,  in  behalf  of  the  state  of  New  York. 

"During  the  receiwee  of  the  general  congress,  he  rendered  important  servicea  in  the  or- 
ganizauon  of  the  state  government.  In  Moy,  1778,  he  took  hia  aeat  in  congreaa  for  tha 
laat  time.  Although  feeble  in  body,  and  low  in  health,  he  consented  to  forego  ail  conaider. 
auons  but  those  of  patriotism ;  and,  at  a  distance  from  his  family,  willingly  devoted  to  hia 
country  the  laat  hours  of  his  life.    He  expired  on  the  19th  of  June,  at  the  age  of  aixty.two 


:^y^ 


"  WnxtAM  LivmosToif,  L  L.  D.,  goyemor 
of  New  Jersey,  was  bom  in  the  city  of  New 
York  about  the  year  1733,  and  waa  graduated 

f>^.imiU  cf  William  /Mngston',  ,iruUu».         ''7*'^  ^"."*«*'  *"   !,'"•     "«  •*'i'^'«'  l"^* 
.  .„.  .        '  "•  "#«««"•       and  possessing  an  understanding  of  great  en. 

ergy,  a  bnJIiant  imngmation,  and  a  retentive  memory,  and  devoting  himself  aasiduoualy  to 
the  cultiVBUon  of  his  mind,  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  in  the  profession.  He  early  exhib- 
ited  himself  an  able  and  zealous  advocate  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  employed  his 
pen  in  vindicating  the  rights  of  the  colonies  against  the  arbitrary  claima  of  the  British. 
Atter  enjoying  several  important  offices  in  New  York,  he  removed  to  New  Jersey,  and  aa 
a  representative  ol  that  stale  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  congress  of  1774. 
On  the  formation  of  a  new  constitution  for  that  state  in  1776,  ho  waa  appointed  the  dnt 
governor,  and  wos  annually  re-elected  to  the  office  till  his  death  in  1790.  He  was  charac 
terized  by  Bimplicity  in  hia  manners,  and  ease,  amiobleness,  and  wit  in  his  social  intercouiae. 
His  wntings  display  uncommon  vigor,  keenness,  and  refinement,  and  are  often  eloquent. 
He  devoted  himself,  during  the  revolution,  ardently  to  the  cause  of  his  counirj-,  and  did 
much  by  the  shrewdness  and  severity  of  his  writings  both  to  encourage  hia  countn-nen  and 
exasperate  the  British. 

"RoBBRT  Ftn,T(w,  eminent 
aa  the  inventor  of  steamboats, 
was  bom  in  the  town  of  Little 
Britain,  Lancaater  county, 
Pennsylvania,  1765.  Hia  pa. 
rents,  who  were  Irish,  were 
respectable,  and  gave  him  a 
common  English  education  at 
1.      •    ,    ^  D  1  .  IV ..    .      .  Lancaster.  He  early  exhibited 

fac-.,m,U  of  Roieri  Fulton  „.,gnatur,.  a  superior  talent  for  mechan! 

wm  and  pniniing,  and  in  his  eighteenth  year  established  himself  in  the  latter  employment  in 
Philadelphia,  and  obtained  much  credit  and  emolument  by  his  portraits  and  landscapes. 
On  entering  his  22a  year  he  went  to  England,  for  the  purpose  of  improving  his  knowledge 
of  that  art,  and  was  received  into  the  family  of  Mr.  Wea^,  with  whom  he  spent  several 
years,  and  cultivated  a  warm  friendship.  After  leaving  that  family,  he  employed  two  yean 
m  Devonshire  as  a  painter,  and  there  became  acquainted  with  the  duke  of  Bridgewater 
and  Lord  Stanhope,  the  former  famous  for  hia  canals,  and  the  latter  for  hia  love  of  the  me. 
chanic  arts.  He  soon  turned  his  attention  to  mechanics,  particularly  to  the  improvement 
of  inland  navigation  by  canals,  and  the  use  of  steam  for  the  propelling  of  boats;  and  in 
1794  obtained  patents  for  a  double  inclined  plane,  to  be  used  for  transportation,  and  an  in- 
atrument  to  be  employed  in  excavating  canals.  He  at  this  time  professed  himself  a  civil 
engineer,  and  published  a  treatise  on  canal  navigation.  He  aoon  after  went  tn  France- 
and  obtained  a  patent  from  the  ipovemment  tor  "the  improvements  he  had  invented.  Ha 
n>«nt  the  succeeding  seven  years  in  Paris,  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Joel  Barlow,  during  whick 

27 


310 


NBW   TOXK   COUNTY 


period  he  made  hiinielf  aeqnainted  with  the  French,  ItaUan,  ud  Gennaii  laagoagee,  and 
aoon  amqaired  a  knowledge  of  the  high  mathematice,  phyaics,  chemiatry,  and  perspective. 
He  aoon  turned  hia  attention  to  aubmarine  navigation  and  exploeion,  and  in  1801,  under 
the  patronage  of  the  first  consul,  constructed  a  plunging  boat,  and  torpedoes,  (^differing  ma. 
teiidly  from  Bushnel'a  invention,  with  which  he  was  acquainted,)  with  which  he  performed 
many  experiments  in  the  harbor  of  Brest,  demonstrating  the  practicability  of  employing 
■ubaquatic  explosion  and  navigation  for  the  destruction  of  vessels.  These  inventions  at. 
tiacted  the  attention  of  the  British  government,  and  overtures  were  made  to  him  by  the 
ministry  which  induced  him  to  go  to  London,  with  the  hope  that  they  would  avail  them, 
selves  of  his  machines ;  but  a  demonstration  of  their  efficacy  which  he  gave  the  ministry, 
by  blowing  up  a  veseel  in  their  presence,  led  them  to  wish  to  suppress  the  invention  rather 
than  encourage  it ;  and  accordingly  they  declined  patronising  him.  During  this  period  he 
also  made  many  efforts  to  discover  a  method  of  successfully  using  the  steam  engine  for  the 
propelling  of  boats,  and  as  early  as  1793,  made  such  experiments  as  insnired  him  with  great 
confidence  in  its  practicability.  Robert  R.  Livingston,  Esq.,  chancellor  of  New  York,  and 
minister  of  the  United  States  to  the  French  court,  on  his  airival  in  France,  induced  him  to 
renew  his  attention  to  this  subject,  and  embarked  with  him  in  making  experiments  for  the 
mirpoee  of  satisfying  themselves  of  the  possibility  of  employing  steam  in  navigation.  Mr. 
Fulton  engaged  widi  intense  interest  in  the  trial,  and  in  1803,  constructed  a  boat  on  the 
river  Seine,  at  their  joint  expense,  by  which  he  fully  evinced  the  practicability  of  propelling 
boats  by  that  agent.  He  immediately  resolved  to  enrich  his  country  with  this  invaluable 
discovery,  and  on  returning  to  New  York  in  1806,  commenced,  in  conjunction  with  Mr. 
Livingston,  the  construction  of  the  first  Fidton  boat,  which  was  launched  in  the  spring  of 
1807  from  the  ship-yard  of  Charles  Browne,  New  York,  and  completed  in  August.  This 
boat,  which  was  called  the  Clermont,*  demonstrated  on  the  first  experiment,  to  a  host  of, 
at  first  incredulous,  but  at  length  astonished  spectators,  the  correctness  of  his  expectations, 
and  the  value  of  his  invention.  Between  this  period  and  his  death  he  superintended  the 
erection  of  fourteen  other  steam  vessels,  and  made  great  improvements  in  their  construction." 

"  I  myself,"  says  Judge  Story,  "  have  heard  the  illustrious  inventor  relate,  in  an  animated 
and  affecting  manner,  the  history  of  his  labors  and  discouragements : — '  When,'  said  he, '  I 
was  building  my  hrst  steamboat  at  New  York,  the  project  was  viewed  by  the  public  eidier 
with  indifference  or  with  contempt  as  a  visionary  scheme.  My  friends  indeed  were  civil, 
but  they  were  shy.  They  listened  with  patience  to  my  explanations,  but  with  a  settled 
cast  of  incredulity  on  their  cotmtenances.  I  felt  the  full  force  of  the  lamentation  of  the 
popt,— 

\  "  Truths  would  you  teach,  to  save  a  sinking  land, 

All  »hun,  none  aid  you,  and  few  undergtand." 

As  I  had  occasion  to  pass  daily  to  and  from  the  building  yard  while  my  boat  was  in  pro. 
grass,  I  have  often  loitered  unknown  near  the  idle  groups  of  strangers  gathering  in  httle 
circles,  and  heard  various  inquiries  as  to  the  object  of  this  new  vehicle.  The  language  was 
uniformly  that  of  scorn,  sneer,  or  ridicule.  The  loud  laugh  rose  at  my  expense,  the  dry 
jest,  the  wise  calculation  of  losses  and  expenditures ;  the  dull  but  endless  repetition  of  the 
F^ton  folly.  Never  did  a  single  encouraging  remark,  a  bright  hope,  or  a  warm  wish, 
cross  my  path.  Silence  itself  was  but  politeness  veiling  its  doubts  or  hiding  its  reproaches. 
At  length  the  day  arrived  when  the  experiment  was  to  be  got  into  operation.  To  me  it 
uat  a  moat  trying  and  interesting  occasion.  I  invited  many  friends  to  go  on  board  to  wit. 
ness  the  first  successful  trip.  Many  of  them  did  me  the  favor  to  attend  as  a  matter  of  per. 
Bonal  respect ;  but  it  was  manifest  they  did  it  with  reluctance,  fearing  to  be  partners  of  my 
mortification  and  not  of  my  triumph.  I  was  well  aware  that  in  my  case  there  were  many 
reasons  to  doubt  of  my  own  success.  The  machinery  (like  Fitch's  before  him)  was  new 
and  ill  made ;  and  many  parts  of  it  were  constructed  by  mechanics  unacquainted  with  such 
work,  and  unexpected  difficulties  might  reasonably  be  presumed  to  present  themselves  from 
other  causes.  The  moment  arrived  in  which  the  word  was  to  be  given  for  the  vessel  to 
move.  My  friends  were  in  groups  on  the  denk.  There  was  anxiety  mixed  with  fear 
among  them.  They  were  silent,  sad,  and  weary.  I  read  in  their  looks  nothing  but  disaster, 
and  almost  repented  of  my  efforts.  The  signal  was  given,  and  the  boat  moved  on  a  short 
distance  and  then  stopped.,  and  became  immovable.  To  the  silence  of  the  preceding  mo. 
ment  now  succeeded  murmurs  of  discontent,  and  agitations,  and  whispers,  and  shrugs.  I 
could  hear  distinctly  repeated,  "  I  told  you  it  teas  «o ;  t(  it  a  foolish  scheme ;  I  with  tea 
were  weU  out  of  it,"  I  elevated  myself  upon  a  platform  and  addressed  the  assembly.  I 
atated  that  I  knew  not  what  was  the  matter ;  but  if  they  would  be  quiet,  and  indulge  me 


*  So  named  from  the  seat  of  the  Livingston  family.    ( :« ■  Clermont,  Columbia  county.) 


NKW    rOBK   COUNTY. 


311 


for  half  an  hour,  I  would  either  go  on  or  abandon  the  voyage  for  that  time.  Thh  short 
reapite  vtaa  conceded  without  objection.  I  went  below  and  examined  the  mvehmeiy,  and 
dMcovered  that  the  cause  was  a  slight  maladjustment  of  some  of  the  woik.  la  atlMit 
penod  It  was  obviated.  The  boat  was  again  put  in  motion.  She  continued  to  move  on. 
All  were  sull  incredulous.  None  seemed  wilUiig  to  mist  the  evidence  of  their  own  senses. 
We  left  the  fair  city  of  New  York;  we  passed  through  the  romantic  and  ever-varying 
scenery  of  the  Highlands;  we  descried  the  clustering  houses  of  Albany ;  we  reached  IS 
shores;  and  then,  even  then,  when  all  seemed  achieved,  I  was  the  victim  of  disappoint, 
ment.  Imagination  superseded  the  influence  of  fact.  It  was  then  doubted  if  it  coald  be 
done  again ;  or  if  done,  it  was  doubted  if  it  could  be  made  of  any  great  value.' " 


••  2%e  Cfenwml,"  JPWten't>rt  Ameriem  l&eamboat. 


Fulton  obtained  a  patent  for  his  inventions  in  navigation  by  steam  in  February.  1809  and 
another  for  some  iinprovements  in  1811.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  appointed  by  the  leiis. 
Btare  of  New  York,  one  of  the  commissioners  to  explore  a  route  for  a  canal  from  the  imat 
Jakes  to  ihe  Hudson,  and  engaged  with  zeal  in  the  promotion  of  that  great  work.  On 
the  commencement  of  hostilities  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  in  1819  he 
renewed  his  attention  to  submarine  warfare,  and  contrived  a  method  of  discharmnir  <^ns 
under  water,  for  which  he  obtained  a  patent.  In  1814  he  contrived  an  armed  steamihip 
for  the  defence  of  the  harbor  of  New  York,  and  also  a  submarine  vessel,  or  plunging  boat 
of  such  dimensions  as  to  carry  100  men,  the  plans  of  which  being  approved  by  government^ 
he  was  authorized  to  construct  them  at  the  public  expense.  But  before  completing  either 
of  those  worl«,  he  died  suddenly,  February  24th,  1815.  His  person  was  tall,  slender,  and 
well  formed,  his  manners  graceful  and  dignified,  and  his  disposition  generous.  His  attain, 
ments  and  inventions  bespeak  the  high  superiority  of  his  talents.  He  was  an  accomplished 
painter,  was  profoundly  versed  in  mechanics,  and  possessed  an  invention  of  great  fertiUtv 
and  which  was  always  directed  by  an  eminent  share  of  good  sense.  His  style  as  a  writer 
was  perspicuous  and  energetic.  To  him  is  to  be  ascribed  the  honor  of  inventing  a  method 
of  successfully  employing  the  steam  engine  in  navigation,  an  invention  justly  considered 
one  of  the  most  important  which  h^  been  made  in  modem  ages,  and  by  which  he  rendered 
himself  both  a  perpetual  and  one  of  the  greatest  benefactors  of  mankind.  He  was  not  in 
deed  the  first  who  conceived  it  to  be  possible ;  others  had  believed  its  practicability,  and 
made  many  attempts  to  propel  boats  by  steam,  but  having  neither  his  genius,  his  knowledge, 
nor  h«  perseverance,  they  were  totoUy  unsuccessful.  Mr.  Fulton  was  familiarly  acquain^d 
with  many  of  the  most  distinguished  hterary  and  political  characters  both  of  the  United 
States  and  of  Europe,  was  a  director  of  the  American  academy  of  fine  arts,  and  a  member 
of  several  Uterary  and  philosophical  societies.^'  memiw 


Jw^^f^-  ^'T'^^*"™"'  i«d«e  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  was  the  son 
lyi'IloVr"??!?,"'  «S?:''™°'-  °f  New  Jersey,  pd  was  bom  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

r —  — ;"•  ^  '"'•    **«^  eiucrea  rnnceton  college,  Dut  in  1776  left  it  for  the  field  and 

became  one  of  the  family  of  General  Schuyler,  comiSaAder  of  the  northern  aiW-    He  wm 


i 


213 


MBW   YOEK   COUNTY. 


•fttfwud  attached  to  the  luite  of  general  Arnold,  with  the  rank  of  m^or,  and  shared  in 
the  honors  of  the  conquest  of  Buigo]me.  In  1779  he  accompanied  Mr.  Jay  to  the  court 
ot  Spain  as  hia  private  secretary,  and  remained  abroad  about  three  yean.  On  his  return 
he  devoted  himself  to  lavr,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  April,  1783.  His  talents  were 
happily  adapted  to  the  profession,  and  soon  raised  him  into  notice,  and  ultimately  to  emi. 
nence.  He  was  called  to  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  of  New  York,  Jan- 
nary  8th,  1803,  and  in  November,  1806,  was  transferred  to  that  of  the  supreme  court  of 
the  United  States,  the  dudes  of  which  station  he  discharged  with  distinguished  faithfulnesa 
and  ability  until  Ins  death,  which  took  place  during  the  sittings  of  the  court  at  Washington, 
March  18th,  1GK)3,  in  the  66th  year  of  his  age.  He  possessed  a  mind  of  uncommon  acute- 
neas  and  eneigy,  and  eqjoyed  the  reputation  of  an  accomplished  scholar,  an  able  pleader  and 
jurist,  an  upright  judge,  and  a  Uberal  patron  of  learning. 


^y^ 


'^r^^^^  ^f^^^^i^ 


FaciimiU  of  Siehard  Mmtgomery't  aignature. 

**RiCHAU  MoMTaonBT,  a  major^eneral  in  the  army  of  the  United  States,  was  bom  in 
the  north  of  Ireland,  in  1737.  He  possessed  an  excellent  genius,  which  was  matured  by  a 
fine  education.  Entering  the  army  of  Great  Britain,  he  successfully  fought  her  battles,  with 
Wolfe,  at  Quebec,  in  1759 ;  and  on  the  very  spot  where  he  was,  idVerward,  doomed  to  fall, 
when  fighting  against  her,  under  the  banners  of  freedom. 

"  He  early  imbibed  an  attachment  to  America ;  and,  after  his  arrival  in  New  York,  pur. 
chased  an  estate,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  tiie  city,  and  married  a  daughter  of  Judge 
Livingston.  When  the  struggle  with  Great  Britain  commenced,  as  he  was  known  to  have 
an  ardent  attachment  to  liberty,  and  had  expressed  his  readiness  to  draw  his  sword  on  the 
side  of  the  colonies,  the  command  of  the  continental  forces,  in  the  northern  department, 
was  intrusted  to  him  and  Gen.  Schuyler,  in  the  fall  of  1775. 

"  By  the  indisposition  of  Schuyler,  the  chief  command  devolved  upon  him  in  October. 
After  a  succession  of  splendid  and  important  victories,  he  appeared  before  Quebec.  In  an 
attempt  to  storm  the  city,  on  the  last  of  December,  this  brave  commander  fell,  by  a  dis. 
charge  of  grape^hot,  both  of  his  aids  being  killed  at  the  same  time.  In  his  fall,  there  was 
every  circumstance  united,  that  could  impart  fame  and  glory  to  the  death  of  a  soldier." 

"  General  Montgomery  was  gifted  with  fine  abilities  and  had  received  an  excellent  educa. 
tion.  His  military  talents  especially  were  great ;  his  measures  were  taken  with  judgment 
and  executed  with  vigor.  The  sorrow  for  his  loss  was  heightened  by  the  esteem  which  his 
amiable  character  had  gained  him.  At  the  period  of  hk  death  he  was  only  thirty-eight 
yeara  of  age." 


.^y^^^. 


"  WlUJAM  ALEUkJt. 

DER,  Loan  Stirunq,  a 
mfyor-general  in  the 
service  of  the  United 
States  during  the  revo- 
lutionary war,  was  bom 
in  the  city  of  New 
I^nmUt  ^  Lord  StirUng't  tignature.  York,    but    passed    a 

portion  of  his  Ufe  in  New  Jersey.  He  was  generally  styled  through  courtesy  I/n-d  Stirling, 
in  consequence  of  being  considered  by  many  as  the  rightful  heir  to  the  title  and  estates  of 
an  earldom  in  Scotland,  ftom  which  country  his  father  came,  though  the  government  re. 
fiised  to  acknowledge  the  son's  claim  when  he  repaired  to  Great  Britain  in  pursuit  of  this 
inheritance.  He  was  early  remarkable  for  his  fondness  for  mathematics  and  astronomy,  in 
which  sciences  he  made  considerable  progress. — Throughout  the  revolution  he  acted  an  im- 
portant part,  and  distinguished  himself  particulariy  in  the  batdes  of  Long  Island,  German, 
town,  and  Monmouth.  In  the  first,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  after  having,  by  a  bold  attack 
upon  a  corps  commanded  by  Corawallis,  effected  the  escape  of  a  large  part  of  his  detach, 
ment.  In  the  second,  his  division,  with  the  brigades  of  Generals  Nash  and  Maxwell,  formed 
the  corps  de  reterve ;  and  in  the  last  he  commanded  the  left  wing  of  the  American  army. 

ee  was  always  warmly  attached  to  General  Washington,  and  the  cause  which  he  had  es. 
.ii.   "     --•■--•■  -       ---    


Ha  <tia/1  nt  AlKnnv     Tun    IPith    1709    . 


^A   RT  »>...     U, 


NEW   YOEK   COUNTY. 


213 


tttion  of  a  brave,  discerning,  and  intrepid  officer,  and  an  honett  and  a  Ituned  maiun-. 
Snelyelopedta  Americana.  ^^ 


Fae-nmile  of  Alexander  Hamiltoria  signature. 


Aleiakber  Hamilton  was  bom  in  1757,  in  the  island  of  Nevis,  West  Indies.  Hia 
father  was  a  native  of  England,  and  his  mother  of  the  island.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he 
became  a  student  5f  Columbia  college,  his  mother  having  emigrated  to  New  York.  He 
had  not  been  m  that  insututioti  more  than  a  year,  before  he  gave  a  brilliant  manifestation 
^  JrV!C^^"i.  u.."l'"j  '"  *®  discussion  concerning  the  rights  of  the  colonies.  In  sup. 
port  of  these  he  published  several  essays,  which  were  marked  by  such  vigor  and  maturid? 
of  style,  strength  of  aijgument,  and  wisdom  and  compass  of  views,  that  Mr.  Jay,  at  that 

«™  t!f  n^!i.™!K  .r  °^  ^^^'  ^'^  ™PPo««d  <«  be  the  author.  When  it  had  become  neces- 
sary  to  unsheath  the  sword,  the  ardent  spint  of  young  Hamilton  would  no  longer  allow  him 
«,!!t,T?K"  ■''t'**'™"'  reurement;  and  before  the  age  of  nineteen  he  entered  the  American 
S^nStrn".  °  *"J?^r°  u^  "f'l^'y-,  Jn  th«  capacity  he  soon  attracted  the  attention 
n„/nn«f  -^r  ■'""'"'li^'*  T^S^^PP^u'"'*?  **""  ^  aid-de-camp,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant, 
colonel.  This  occurred  in  1777,  when  he  was  not  more  than  twenty  years  of  age.  From 
this  time  he  continued  the  inseparable  companion  of  Washington  during  the  war,  and  was 
always  consulted  by  him  and  frequently  by  other  public  functionaries,  on  the  m^t  impor- 
tont  occasions.  He  acted  as  his  first  aid-de-camp  at  the  battles  of  Brandywine,  German, 
town,  and  Monmouth,  and  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown  he  led,  at  his  own  request,  the  detach, 
ment  that  earned  by  assault  one  of  the  enemy's  outworks,  October  14, 1781.  In  this  aifair 
he  displayed  the  most  bnlliant  valor. 

'l^u^l  the  war.  Col.  Hamilton,  then  about  twenty.four,  commenced  the  study  of  the  law. 
as  he  had  at  that  tihie  a  wife  and  family  depending  upon  him  for  support.  He  was  soon 
admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1782,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  congress  from  the  state  of  New 
York,  where  he  quickly  acquired  the  greatest  influence  and  distinction,  and  was  always  a 
member  and  sometimes  chairman  of  tnose  committees  to  which  were  confided  such  subjecta 
as  were  deemed  of  vital  interest  to  the  nation.  The  reports  which  he  prepared  are  remark, 
able  lor  the  correctness  and  power  which  characterize  every  eflbrt  of  his  pen.  At  the  end 
ot  the  session  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
became  emment  at  the  bar.  In  1786,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  legislature  of  his 
state,  and  was  mainly  instrumental  in  preventing  a  serious  collision  between  Vermont  and 

A,  ^Tl'"  consequence  of  a  dispute  concerning  territorial  jurisdiction.  He  was  elected 
a  delegate  from  New  York  to  the  convention  which  was  to  meet  at  Philadelphia,  in  order 
to  form  a  constituuon  for  the  United  States.  As  the  doon  of  the  convention  were  closed 
during  Its  sitting,  and  its  records  were  never  given  to  the  world,  it  is  not  posrible  to  state 
the  precise  part  which  he  acted  in  that  body.  It  is  well  ascertained,  however,  that  the 
country  is  at  least  as  much  indebted  to  him  for  the  excellences  of  the  constitution  as  to  any 
other  member  of  the  lUustnous  assembly.  Hamilton  and  Madison  were  the  chief  oraclM 
«lf  whh  M  ■  T^l-'  ^""^  'iT*'","^  ^"  constitution  by  the  convention,  he  associated  him. 
w  fh  fS.,  '-^  ''°°  ""^^u  ^^^'  '^^  *^  P"^'^*'  "f  *'^P'«*°«  *«  PubUc  to  receive  it 
Zlt  V  I'a  ■  T""^^  "^^'^t.^'^y  ^'"'^  ^'*  *»t  <>c««n.  addressed  to  the  people  of 
New  York  during  the  years  1787  and  1788,  are  weU  known  under  the  name  of  Uie  Fed- 
eralist, and  contributed  powerfully  to  produce  the  efiect  for  which  they  were  composed, 
sil  T'  portion  of  them  was  written  by  HamUton.  In  1788.  he  was  a  member  of  the 
rT,-?T  °^°^  New  York,  which  met  to  deliberate  on  the  adoption  of  the  federal 
constitution,  and  it  was  chiefly  in  consequence  of  his  efforts  Jiat  it  was  accepted.  On  the 
organization  of  the  federal  government  in  1789,  he  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  secretary 

afV,i«r^^.TF\J  '^J'^  "  ?^"''*'°"  *'!''*'''  '^1'^'*'*  ^^^  ^*«^*''««  «f  «J1  Ae  great  poweii 
of  his  mind,  for  the  public  credit  was  at  that  time  at  the  lowest  state  of  depression ;  and  as 
no  satistical  account  of  the  country  had  ever  been  attempted,  its  fiscal  resources  wer» 
wiioUy  unknown.  But  before  HamUton  retired  from  the  post,  which  he  did  after  fiUinir  it 
eosewuBi  more  tnan  nve  yea.b,  ii«  had  raised  the  public  credit  to  a  height  altogether^ 


/ 


214 


NIW   YORK  COUNTY. 


pnoedentad  ia  dt*  hittorjr  of  the  country ;  and  by  the  admirable  qratem  of  finance  which  he 
establi^«d,  had  acquired  the  reputation  of  one  of  the  greateat  financiera  of  the  age.  His 
official  reports  to  congresa  are  considered  as  masterpieces,  and  the  principles  which  he  ad- 
vocated in  them  aliU  continue  to  exercise  a  great  influence  in  the  revenue  department  of 
the  American  government.  Whilst  secretary  of  the  treasury,  he  was  ex  tfficio  one  of  the 
cabinet  connsellora  of  President  Washington ;  and  such  was  the  confidence  reposed  by 
that  great  man  in  his  integrity  and  abiUty,  that  he  rarely  ventured  upon  any  executive  act 
of  moment  without  his  concurrence,  He  was  one  of  the  principal  advisers  of  the  procla. 
mation  of  neutrality  issued  by  WcsMngton  in  1799,  in  consequence  of  the  attempt  made 
by  the  minister  of  France  to  cause  the  United  States  to  take  part  with  his  oountij  in  the 
war  then  raging  between  it  and  England.  This  meaaure  he  defended  in  a  aeriea  of  essays, 
under  die  signature  of  Paeifieu$,  which  were  successful  in  giving  it  popularity.  In  1795, 
Hamilton  resigned  his  office  and  retired  to  private  life,  in  order  to  be  better  able  to  support 
a  numerous  family  by  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1798,  however,  when  an  iniwsion 
waa  apprehended  from  the  French,  and  a  proviaional  army  had  been  called  into  the  field, 
his  public  services  wen  again  requumi.  President  Adams  had  offered  the  chief  command 
of  &e  provisional  army  to  Washington,  who  consented  to  accept  in  cau  Hamilton  ahould 
be  chosen  second  in  command,  with  the  title  of  inspector-general.  This  was  accordingly 
done,  and  in  a  short  time  he  succeeded  in  bringing  the  oiganization  and  discipline  of  the 
army  to  a  high  degree  of  excellence.  On  the  dea&  of  Washington  in  1799,  he  succeeded 
of  course  to  the  chief  command.  The  title  of  lieutenant-general,  however,  to  which  he  waa 
then  entitled,  was  from  some  unexplained  cause  never  conferred  on  him. 

"  When  the  army  was  disbanded  after  the  cessation  of  hoedlities  between  the  United 
Btatea  and  France,  General  Hamilton  returned  again  to  the  bar,  and  continued  to  practiae 
with  increased  reputation  and  success  until  1804.  In  June  of  that  year  he  received  a  note 
from  Col.  Burr, — between  whom  and  himself  a  political  had  become  a  personal  enmity, — 
in  which  he  was  required,  in  offensive  language,  to  acknowledge  or  diutvow  certain  ex. 
pressiona  derogatory  to  the  latter.  The  tone  of  the  note  was  such  as  to  cause  him  to  refiiae 
to  do  either,  and  a  challenge  was  the  consequence.  July  11,  the  parties  met  at  Hoboken, 
oppoeite  New  York,  on  the  Jersey  side  of  the  Hudson,  and  on  the  first  fire  Hamilton  fell 
mortally  wounded,  on  the  same  spot  where,  a  short  time  previously,  his  eldest  son  had  been 
kiiiled  in  a  duel.  He  lingered  until  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  when  he  expired. 
The  sensation  which  this  excited  throughout  the  United  States  had  never  been  exceeded 
on  this  continent.  Men  of  all  parties  felt  that  the  nation  was  deprived  of  its  greatest  orna- 
ment. His  transcendent  abilities  were  universally  acknowledged.  Every  citizen  was  ready 
to  express  confidence  in  his  spirit  of  honor  and  his  capacity  for  public  service.  Of  all  the 
coadjuton  and  advisers  of  Washington,  Hamilton  was  undoubtedly  the  one  in  whose 
sagacity  and  judgment  he  reposed  the  greatest  confidence,  whether  in  the  military  or  in  the 
cinl  career ;  and  of  all  the  American  statesmen  he  displayed  the  most  comprehensive  un- 
derstanding, and  the  most  varied  ability,  whether  applied  to  subjects  practical  or  speculative. 
A  collection  of  his  works  was  issued  in  New  York  in  three  octavo  volumes,  some  years 
after  hia  deadi.  His  style  is  nervous,  lucid,  and  elevated ;  he  excels  in  reasoning  founded 
on  general  principles  and  historical  experience.  General  Hamilton  was  regarded  as  the 
head  of  the  Federalists  in  the  party  divisions  of  the  American  republic.  He  was  accused 
of  having  preferred  in  the  convention  that  framed  the  Federal  constitution,  a  government 
more  akin  to  the  monarchical ;  he  weakened  the  federal  party  by  denouncing  President 
Adama,  whose  administration  he  disapproved,  and  whose  fitness  for  office  he  questioned. 
But  his  general  course  and  his  confidential  correspondence,  show  that  he  earnestly  desired 
to  preserve  the  constitution,  when  it  was  adopted,  and  that  his  motives  were  patriotic  in 
his  proceedings  towards  Mr.  Adams.  Certain  it  is,  that  no  man  labored  more  faithfidly, 
akilfiilly,  and  efficiently  ia  organizing  and  putting  into  operation  the  federal  government."— 
Enejfdtpedia  Ameneana. 


t 


NIAGARA   COUNTY. 


216 


NIAGARA  COUNTY. 

Niagara  county  was  taken  from  Genesee  in  1808.  Greatest  length 
E.  and  W.  30 ;  breadth  N.  and  S.  21  miles.  The  word  Niagara 
is  of  Indian  origin,  and  signifies  across  the  neck  or  strait.  The 
streams  are  few,  and  with  the  exception  of  Eighteen  Mile,  Johnson's, 
and  Tonawanta  creeks,  and  Niagara  river,  are  inconsiderable.  In 
1796,  exclusive  of  the  occupants  of  Forts  Niagara  and  Schlosser, 
there  was  but  one  white  family  in  the  territory  now  forming  tliis 
county.  The  proposed  line  for  a  ship  canal,  from  the  Niagara  river 
above  the  Falls  to  Lewiston,  lies  wholly  within  the  counQr,  com- 
mencing near  GUI  creek  and  the  site  of  old  Fort  Schlosser.  A  rail- 
road runs  from  Lockport  and  another  from  Bufialo  to  the  Niagara 
Falls.  A  branch  has  been  made  from  I^ewiston  to  intersect  the 
Lockport  and  Niagara  Falls  railroad,  a  distance  of  about  2  miles.  The 
Erie  canal  enters  Tonawanta  creek  near  its  mouth.  The  creek 
is  used  for  12  miles  as  a  canal  by  a  tow-path  on  its  bank.  At  Pen- 
dleton village,  the  canal  leaves  the  creek  and  turns  in  a  northeasterly 
direction  across  the  mountain  ridge,  with  a  deep  cut  of  about  three 
miles  through  rock  averaging  20  feet ;  and  then  descending  60  feet, 
by  five  double  combined  locks  of  12  feet  each,  it  passes  out  of  the 
county  south  of  the  Ridge  road.  The  county  is  divided  into  12 
towns,  viz. : 


Somerset, 

Wheatland, 

Wilson. 


Cambria,    •         Lockport,  Pendleton, 

Hartland,  Newiane,  Porter, 

Lewiston,  Niagara,  Royalton, 

Lockport  village,  incorporated  in  1829,  was  founded  in  the  spring  of 
1821,  by  Mr.  Sherard  Comstock,  deceased,  who  surveyed  his  farm  of 
100  acres  into  town  lots.  The  first  house  was  erected  by  Joseph 
Langdon,  additions  were  soon  made  to  the  village  plat,  and  in  1822  it 
became  the  county  town.  It  is  30  miles  E.  of  Buffalo,  20  from 
Nia^  Falls,  and  33a  by  the  canal  route  from  Albany. 
.  The  following  is  a  view  of  the  five  double  locks  on  the  Erie  canal, 
(from  which  the  village  derives  its  name,)  and  part  of  the  buildings 
in  the  vicinity.  A  new  set  of  locks  by  the  side  of  Uiose  represented 
in  the  engraving  are  now  constructing,  which  will  give  mcieased 
facility  to  the  passage  of  boats.  The  village  contains  about  700 
houses,  10  churches,  and,  according  to  the  census  oJF  1850,  12,285 
inhabitants.  Its  buildings,  both  public  and  private,  ai«  mostly  built 
of  the  excellent  stone  which  is  here  quarried.  There  are  2  banks 
and  two  female  seminaries.  The  manufacture  of  flour  is  an  im- 
portant branch  of  business  in  this  place.  The  great  abundance  of 
water  derived  from  Lake  Erie,  which  is  brought  through  the  deep 
cut  to  the  brow  of  the  ridge,  and  all  around  the  basin,  is  used  for 
y"io«8  mills  and  factories.  The  waste  water  of  these  mills,  and  of 
the  jocks  of  the  sixty  fsct  mountain  ridge,  after  it  has  fuifilied  its  hy- 
draulic operations  in  its  descent  to  theba«in,  ie  thera  retoined  by  a  dam 


816 


NIAGARA   COUNTV. 


Northeastern  view  of  the  locks  at  Lockport. 


across  the  ravine,  and  forms  the  head  or  fountain  to  fill  the  long,  or 
sixty-five  mile  level,  and  as  such  is  chiefly  relied  on,  though  the  Oak 
orchard,  the  Genesee,  and  other  feeders  are  useful  in  their  place. 

"  The  upper  part  of  the  village  is  about  80  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  basin  and  long  level  of  the  canal.  In  moving  up  in  a  boat  to  the 
head  of  the  basin  to  enter  the  chain  of  double  locks,  which  are  arranged 
in  the  most  massive  style  side  by  side,  in  huge  chambers,  with  stone 
steps  in  the  centre,  guarded  by  iron  railings  for  safety  and  convenience, 
the  gates  of  the  lock  are  closed  after  the  boat  is  in  the  chamber,  and 
the  roaring  and  sudden  influx  of  the  water  from  the  lock  above,  in  three 
or  four  minutes  raises  the  boat  to  the  level  of  the  lock  above  ;  and  this 
is  repeated  five  times,  the  adjoining  side  lock  bping,  perhaps,  employed 
in  letting  a  boat  pass  down  the  lock  to  the  basin  and  canal.  The  boat 
having  in  this  manner  risen  up  60  feet  in  five  lifts,  the  passenger  finds 
before  him  a  vista  of  several  miles,  bounded  on  either  hand  by  walls 
of  the  solid  limestone  rock,  25  to  30  feet  high,  and  very  appropriately 
called  the  *  Deep  rock  cutting  at  Lockport.' ' 

Lewiston  village,  upon  the  river,  was  surveyed  in  1813  ;  it  is  7  miles 
N.  of  Niagara  Falls,  27  from  Buffalo,  7  S.  ot  Lake  Ontario,  18  W.  of 
Lockport,  80  from  Rochester.  It  lies  opposite  Queenston,  U.  C.  It 
is  the  port  of  entry  for  the  Niagara  collection  district,  and  is  on  the 
Ridge  road,  elevated  about  a  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain  ridge  portage,  and  at  the  head  of  the  naviff^^tion,  and 
contains  about  70  dwellmgs.  The  chief  export  is  lumber.  ""  .on- 
boats  from  the  lake  touch  daily  at  the  landing.^  There  w  a  ferry  across 
the  river  at  Queenston,  the  passage  of  which,  though  safe,  is  somewhat 
appalling  by  reason  of  the  rapidity  and  eddies  of  the  stream.    In  the 


i 


NIAGARA   COUNTY. 


217 


central  part  of  this  town,  now  intersected  by  the  Niauara  Falls  and 
Lockport  railroad,  "8  miles  below  the  falls\nd  3  in1"s  baSk  from 

a^  width  by  4  m  length,  (about  5,000  acres,)  of  very  excellent  land 
They  consist  of  about  300  souls;  have  a  P^LbyterS^.  SSof  60 
members,  a  resident  clergyman,  and  a  school  teacher,  and  a  temper- 
wice  society  of  more  than  100  members.  They  are  under  the  caJfof 
he  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  TheL  villagers  delightfully 
situated  on  a  high  bank,  commanding  an  extensive  prospect  of  ?he  sur^ 

NoJlh'r^  T'"'^'"^"^  ^^^'  ^"^^"°-  These  LiLs  came  from 
K  N  ^^'"^:!^°"*  ?^  y""',  ^.^^^'  ^"^^  J°'"«d  the  confederacy  of  Te 
Five  Nations,  themseves  making  the  sixth.  They  formerly  held  a 
very  valuable  interest  m  land  in  North  Carolina,  but  LveTce^tly  sold 
It  and  divided  the  proceeds  equally  among  themselves.  Many  o7them 
"!u"'[f7nP'°'P^'?"'  circumstances;  in  1834,  one  man  rLed  an^ 
gathered  50  acres  of  wheat.  Visiters  at  the  falls  have  b^en  in  the  haWt 
of  going,  sometimes  m  crowds,  to  this  village  on  the  Sabbath  ;bu?  the 
In(rians,  with  their  missionanr,  have  often  Ixpr^ssed  their  desire  that 
visiters  would  not  interrupt  them  at  that  time.^ 


Lewiston  Landing,  and  Queenston  Heights,  U.  C. 


The  above  is  a  northern  view  taken  near  the  steamboat  landing  at 
Lewiston,  showing  m  the  distance  Queenston  Heights,  distinguisLd 
as  the  battle-ground  during  the  war  of  1812.  On  The  summTof  the 
elevated  ground,  370  feet  above  the  river,  is  seen  Gen.  BroScVmon! 
ument,  constructed  of  freestone,  at  the  expense  of  the  provincial  gov 

wS    ^^%^T  ''  ?°  ^'^^^^"^^^'  ^^  *he  shaft^iTes T26  fel 
from  the  ground;  from  this  eminence  the  country  around  includimr 

TheSwr-s  1^  '"'7"  "^f 'y'  ™^y  bel^eTfor  fi%S 
1  ne  lollowing  IS  the  inscription  on  the  monument. 

-.:|LT!'.''JT'''''*"?.?f  Upper  Canada  has  dedicated  this  monument  t„  tb-  ^^„  „;„:,  „^ 

f 


tl8 


NIAOARA   COUNTY. 


bahnrad  by  thaw  whom  he  govamed,  and  deplored  by  his  Sovenign,  to  whoee  ienrfaeeWi 
life  had  beao  devoted.  Hia  remaina  are  depoaited  iu  thia  vault,  aa  alao  hia  Aid>de-camp, 
Lieutenant-colonel  John  McDonald,  who  died  of  hia  wounda  the  14  of  October,  1813. 
leoeived  the  day  before  in  aoUoo." 

Gen.  Brock  was  killed  at  a  spot  about  80  rods  down  the  hill,  in  a 
northwestern  direction  from  the  monument,  near  a  cherry-tree.  He 
was  a  brave  officer,  and  fell  at  the  head  of  his  men  while  cheerinar 
them  on  to  action.  It  is  stated  that  when  leading  on  his  men,  he  laid 
his  hand  on  his  breast,  exclaiming,  "  Here  is  a  breast  for  youryankee 
balls— shoot  me  if  you  can ;"  when  mortally  wounded,  soon  after,  he 
took  off  his  cravat,  and  told  one  of  his  aids  to  deliver  it  to  his  sister. 
He  was  at  first  interred  in  the  northeastern  bastion  of  Fort  George, 
and  a  24  pound  American  cannon,  captured  with  Hull,  placed  at  his 
head.  His  remains  were  removed  to  Queenston  Heights,  on  one  of 
the  anniversaries  of  the  battle. — On  the  night  of  the  17th  of  April, 
1840,  some  evil-minded  and  unknown  persons  endeavored  to  blow  up 
the  monument  by  gunpowder.  This  disgraceful  attempt  was  partially 
successful ;  the  keystone  over  the  door  was  thrown  out,  and  the  struc- 
ture itself  was  cracked  up  to  nearly  two-thirds  of  its  height. — The 
following  account  of  the  battle  of  Queenston  is  from  the  Albany  Ga- 
zette, Oct.  20th,  1812. 

"  At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  13th  inst,  Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  at  the 
head  of  300  militia,  and  Lieut  Col.  Christie,  at  the  head  of  300  regulars  of  the  13th  regi- 
ment, embarked  in  boata  to  dislodge  the  British  from  the  heighU  of  Queenston.  They 
craaaed  under  cover  of  a  battery  of  two  eighteen  and  two  six  pounders.  Their  movement 
waa  diaoovered  almost  at  the  instant  of  their  departure  from  the  American  shore.  The 
idetachmenta  landed  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer 
leceived  a  wound  through  his  right  thigh  soon  after  landing,  but  proceeded  on  until  he 
received  two  other  flesh  wounds  in  his  thigh  and  the  calf  of  one  of  his  legs,  and  a  severe 
contusion  on  one  of  his  heels,  when  he  ordered  the  detachments  to  march  on  and  storm 
the  fiiat  battery,  and  was  himself  carried  off  the  field.  The  order  for  storming  was  gal- 
lantly executed,  and  a  severe  conflict  ensued.  Lieut.  Col.  Christie  received  a  severe  Wound 
in  his  hand,  but  got  over  the  works.  At  this  time  both  parties  were  reinforced.  The  en- 
emy soon  gave  way,  and  fled  in  every  direction.  Maj.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  crossed  over 
to  auatain  the  attack,  and  ascended  tlie  heighta  of  Queenston,  where  he  waa  attacked  with 
great  fury  by  aeveral  hundred  Indians,  r/ho  however  were  soon  routed  and  driven  into  the 
woods.  The  reinforcements  ordered  over  from  the  American  side  began  to  move  tardily, 
and  finally  atopped.  This  induced  the  major-general  to  return,  in  order  to  accelerate  their 
movemenU.  He  mounted  a  horse,  and  used  every  exertion  in  his  power  to  urge  on  the 
reinforcements,  but  in  vain  ;  whereupon  the  general  perceiving  that  a  strong  reinforcement 
was  advancing  to  support  the  British,  ordered  a  retreat,  but  before  the  order  reached  Brig. 
Gen.  Wadsworth,  the  battle  was  renewed  by  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and  increased 
numbeis,  which  compelled  the  Americans,  whose  strength  and  ammunition  were  nearly 
exhausted  by  hard  fighting  for  eleven  houra,  and  with  very  little  intermission,  to  give  way. 
The  number  of  killed  is  considerable  on  both  sides,  but  the  Americans  have  lost  many 
priaonen,  including  about  60  officers,  most  of  whom  are  wounded.  Among  the  prisoners 
are  Lieut  Cols.  Scott,  Christie,  and  Fenwick,  of  the  United  States  troops :  Gen.  Wads- 
worth  and  Col.  Stranahan  of  the  militia.  Sllaj.  Gen.  Brock,  of  the  British,  is  among  the 
slain,  and  his  aid-de-camp  mortally  wouuded.  The  whole  number  of  Americans  said  to 
have  been  engaged  is  about  1,600,  of  which  900  were  regular  troops  and  700  militia.— 
On  the  14th,  an  arrangement  was  made  between  Maj.  Gen.  Van.  Rensselaer  and  Gen. 
Sheafe  for  the  liberation  of  all  the  militia  prisoners  on  parole,  not  to  serve  during  the  war." 

The  following  from  the  Albany  Register,  Extra,  contains  some  ad- 
ditional particukirs. 

«  A  large  body  of  the  enemy  got  behind  a  stone  guard-house,  in  which  waa  mounted  a 
pair  of  heavv  ordnnnoe^  Two  eisrhteen  poundera  were  directed  against  it,  which  raked 
tbraa  severely ;  and  at  the  8th  shot  tumbled  up  a  heap  of  men  and  dismounted  one  gun. 


\ 


NIAOARA   COUNTT. 


tI9 


irf:::!r:!!i.l'*/"'r.'^T  ^P'*  Geor^«-    Jhey  renewed  tfe%«:c"k;r?th'jo*«iSK 


The  loss  of  the  Americans  in  this  affair  in  killed,  wounded,  and 
ZTf '  r'  K  ^'™f 'n  f  *  ^;S?®  '  °^  ^h'«  "»™ber  about  90  are  bu^ 
fd  nn  £  T  ^'"  ^'"'^'  J^"  '^^^''''  P'-^^'^"'  to  the  action,  insist- 
ed  on  being  led  on  against  the  enemy  to  drive  them  from  the  Niagara 

Fo  r/ve  th^c  ^''  '^'^  coud  return  Lme.  Many  of  them  threS 
to  leave  the  camp  unless  led  to  immediate  action.  After  the  com- 
mencement of  the  battle,  the  sight  of  the  wounded,  as  they  were 
brought  across  the  river  covered  with  blood,  and  the  groans  of  L  d v- 
ng.  cooled  their  military  ardor.    They  now  appeared  to  have  maL 

t^  ^rZl^^  n'^%'°«"''""'^°"«^^^  "°t  ^«q"^^«  them  to  go  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  Umted  States.    Rather  than  cross  over  to  an  enemy's 

lJ?rS' ^\  -^ST"?  *  ""^T^  °f  ''"^"«  ^^^<  ">'  ™ade  cripples  L 
life  they  determined  to  forego  their  chance  of  obtaining  military  Lnors. 
It  IS  said  that  several  hundred  of  the  militia,  after  they  had  crossed 
oyer  to  the  Canadian  shore,  availed  themselves  of  the  darkness  and 
other  facilities  to  hide  themselves  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks,  where 
they  remained  in  concealment  during  the  day,  and  were  only  dragged 
by  the  legs  froni  their  lurking  places  by  the  British  troops;  aftw  the 
surrender  of  the  fighting  part  of  the  Americans.  ^ 

The  village  of  Niagara  Falls  is  situated  at  the  celebrated  Falls  <tf 
Niagara  river,  lat.  43«  6'  N.,  long.  2°  6'  W.  The  village  was  iJid  out 
bv  Augustus  Porter,  Esq.,  and  others,  in  1805.  It  was\t  first  called 
Manchester,  afterward  Niagara  Falls.  The  village  contains  2  churches. 
2  splendid  hotels,  and  3  other  public  houses,  2  public  schools,  80 
dwellings  of  all  kinds,  and  500  inhabitants.  Distance  from  Albany 
290  iniles,  New  York  440,  Buffalo  22,  Lockport  18,  Chillicothe,  Ohio^ 
403,  Kingston  U.  C  200,  Montreal  388,  Quebec  568,  Detroit  332 
CmcmnaU  468,  and  Washington  703  miles.     Pop.  1,261 

"  The  river  Niagara  is  35  miles  in  length,  and  flows  northerly; 
about  midway  between  the  two  lakes  it  separates  into  two  channels 
forming  Grand  Island.  A  short  distance  below  the  union  of  these 
channels  are  the  falls  of  Niagara,  the  grandest  cataract  in  the  world. 
Half  a  mile  above  the  falls  the  river  is  a  furious  rapid,  which  sweeps 
away  to  certain  destruction  every  thing  involved  in  it.  The  river  is 
here  three  quarters  of  a  mile  broad,  and  from  this  point  it  rushes 
down  with  increased  velocity  to  the  fall,  where  it  leaps  in  an  immense 
K  T  *  perpendicular  precipice  160  feet  in  Jepth,  with  a  roar 
heard  in  favorable  states  of  the  wind  and  atmosphere,  6,  10.  20.  or 
5::"  f,,S^--.Tli«  ^cataract  forms  an  irregSar  s'emicirde. 'the 
aeepest  rioiiow  ui  wnicn  is  cauea  horse-shoe  FaU,  and  is  on  the 


NIAQASA   COUNTY. 


View  of  Niagara  Falls  from  the  American  side. 


Canada  side.  At  the  brink  of  the  fall  stands  a  small  island,  called 
Goat  Island,  which  separates  the  Canada  from  the  American  fall.  A 
bridge  is  thrown  across  the  falls  from  the  American  side  to  the  island. 
On  the  British  side,  a  few  yards  below,  is  a  projection  called  Table 
Rock,  commanding  a  magnificent  view  of  the  falls.  From  this  rock 
a  spiral  staircase  leads  down  to  the  foot  of  the  cataract,  where  visit- 
ers may  pass  under  the  fall  between  the  sheet  of  water  and  the  rock. 
The  path  leads  far  under  the  excavated  bank  of  the  river,  which  in 
some  places  forms  a  roof  overhanging  30  or  40  feet.  The  fall  of 
such  an  immense  mass  of  water  produces  violent  whirls  in  the  air, 
and  the  sprav  is  driven  out  with  such  force  that  no  one  can  approach 
the  edge  of  the  cataract  without  being  drenched  to  the  skin.  It  is 
difficult  even  to  draw  a  breath  here,  and  in  entering  this  tremendous 
cavern,  there  is  danger  of  being  blinded  by  the  strong  driving  showers 
of  spray.  The  greatest  distance  to  which  it  is  possible  lo  pass  within 
this  sheet  of  water  is  about  150  feet.    The  hanks  of  the  river  for 


NIAOABA    COUNTY. 

■eyeral  miles  below  the  falls  are  perpendicular  precipices  of  rock,  and 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  cataract  was  formerly  much 
further  down  the  nver,  the  rock  having  gradually  x»  orn  away  to  the 
present  spot.  A  cloud  of  snray  is  continually  rising  fror  the  foam 
of  water,  and  exhibiting  in  the  sunshine  a  brilliant  rainbow." 

The  above  view  of  the  falls  was  taken  from  the  ferry,  and  shows 
on  the  left  of  Goat  Island,  and  near  to  the  spectator,  the  American 
tail,  and  to  the  right  of  the  island  and  in  the  distance,  the  Crescent  or 
Horse-shoe  fall.     The  cataract  on  the  American  side  ia  164,  and  on 
the  Canada  side  158  feet  in  height.     The  stone  tower  seen  in  the 
view  18  connected  with  Goat  Island  by  the  Terrapin  bridge,  a  struc- 
ture  300  feet  in  length,  and  projecting  10  feet  over  the  tails.    1  his 
1  c^o  V^      V"  ^®'^*^^'  ^^^^  winding  steps  to  .ae  top,  was  erected  in 
1833,  Irom  which,  or  from  the  end  of  the  bridge,  the  view  is  awfully 
sublime.     Apart  from  the  falls,  this  whole  region  is  one  of  deep  inter- 
est, from  the  other  natural  curiosities  and  the  historical  reminiscences 
with  which  It  IS  connected.     The  visiter  should  not  fail  to  visit  t  lo 
whirlpool  in  the  Niagara  river,  3  miles  below  the  village.     "  A  mile 
from  the  whirlpool,  the  road  runs  within  a  few  feet  of  the  river's 
bank,  where  a  deep  and  gloomy  chasm  is  rent  or  worn  out  of  the 
rock.    This  is  called  the  DeviFs  Hole,  and  the  small  stream  which 
crosses  the  road  and  falls  into  the  chasm,  is  the  Bloody  Run."    In 
1759,  during  the  old  French  and  Indian  war,  a  detachment  of  100 
British  regulars,  who  were  conveying  provisions,  in  wagons,  to  Fort 
Schlosser,  were  here  surprised  by  a  party  of  Indians  in  ambuscade. 
"  Many  of  the  soldiers  were  killed  at  the  first  discharge,  and  the 
others  were  thrown  into  hopeless  confusion.    The  Indians  fell  like 
tigers  upon  the  drivers,  tomahawked  t  em  in  their  seats,  and  threw 
tnem  under  foot.     The  wagons  were  backed  off  the  precipice,  and 
men  and  cattle  fell  with  their  loading  in  one  dismembered  and  muti- 
lated mass  below.    Some  threw  themselves  from  the  bank,  and  fell 
mangled  and  dying  on  the  rocks ;  others  lodged  in  the  branches  of 
the  trees,  where  they  remained,  disabled,  until  the  affray  was  over, 
when  the  savages,  at  their  leisure,  despatched  them."    The  brook 
that  courses  the  bank  ran  red  with  the  blood  of  the  slain.    Only  four 
escaped  to  relate  the  horrible  fate  of  their  companions.    Pieces  of 
wagons  and  other  relics  of  this  bloody  affray  remained  in  this  vicinity 
until  within  a  few  years,  but  have  now  mouldered  away. 

The  immediate  vicinity  of  the  falls  is  rendered  memorable  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  the  place  where  a  number  of  bloody  battles  were 
fought  during  the  last  war.  The  battle  of  Chippewa  was  fought  on 
the  6th  of  July,  1814,  at  the  village  of  that  name,  on  the  Canada  side, 
about  two  miles  from  the  falls.  In  July,  the  British  and  American 
forces  being  near  each  other.  Gen.  Ripley  ordered  Gen.  Scott  to 
make  an  advance  on  Chippewa. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  fourth,  General  Scott  advanced  with  his  brigade  and  corps  of 
artillery,  and  took  a  position  on  the  Chippewa  plain,  half  a  mile  in  front  of  the  village,  his 

nght  restinff  on  the  river,  and  hia  front  nrntectnH  hu  a  raving      TK«  Rr^.:.i,  «• iT j 

in  torce  at  the  village.    In  the  evening  General  Brown  joined  him  with  the  reserve  under 
«*eneral  Kipley,  and  the  artillery  commanded  by  Major  Hindman.    General  Porter  arrived 


( 


K 


/ 


232 


NIAGARA   COUNTY. 


ths  n««t  moming,  with  the  New  York  and  PeniOTlvania  to  untj.«r«,  end  a  number  of  In- 
diana of  the  Six  Nationa.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  5th,  the  Bnttah  commenced  a  firing 
on  the  picketa.  Captain  Trott,  who  commanded  one  of  them,  haaUly  relroaiod,  leaving 
one  of  hia  men  wounded  on  the  ground.  General  Brown  inatantiy  ordered  hmi  to  retire 
from  the  arrcy,  and  directed  Captain  Biddle  to  a«iume  the  commoiid  of  the  picket,  load  it 
back  to  the  ground,  and  bring  off  the  wounded  man ;  which  he  acconiphshed  without  Iomi. 
At  four  in  the  afternoon.  General  Porter  advanced,  taking  the  woods  in  order  to  conceai 
hia  approach,  and  in  the  hope  of  bringing  their  picketa  and  acouling  pariiee  between  hia  line  of 
march  and  the  American  camp.  In  half  an  hour  hia  advance  met  the  light  parUea  of  the  Bnt. 
iih  in  the  woodi  on  the  left.  Theae  were  driven  in,  and  Porter,  advancing  near  Chippewa, 
met  the  whole  British  force  approaching  in  order  of  batUe.  General  Scott,  with  hu  brigade 
and  Towaon'a  artillery,  met  them  on  the  plain,  in  front  of  the  American  encampment,  and 
waa  directly  engaged  in  clo«>  action  with  the  main  body.  General  Porter'a  command  gave 
way,  and  fled  in  every  direction,  by  which  Scott'a  left  flank  waa  entirely  uncovered.  Cap. 
tain  Harria,  with  hia  dragoona,  was  ordered  to  atop  the  fugitives,  at  the  ravine,  and  form 
them  in  front  of  the  camp.  The  reserve  were  now  ordered  up,  and  General  Ripley  paaaed 
to  the  woods  in  left  of  the  line  to  gain  the  rsar  of  the  enemy  j  but  before  thia  vvaa  afteoted, 
General  Scott  had  compelled  the  BritUh  to  retire.  Their  whole  line  now  fell  back,  wid 
were  eageriy  pursued  by  the  Americans.  As  soon  aa  they  reached  the  sloping  ground  de- 
acending  towards  the  village,  their  lines  broke,  and  they  regained  their  worka  in  disorder. 
The  American  troops  pureued  until  within  reach  of  the  guns  from  the  worka;  when  they 
desisted  and  returned  to  their  camp.  The  British  left  two  hundred  dead  on  the  ground, 
ninety-four  wounded,  beside  those  in  the  early  part  of  the  action,  who  were  removed  back 
to  the  camp,  and  fourteen  prisoners.  The  American  loss  was  sixty  killed,  and  two  hun- 
dred  and  sixty-eight  wounded  and  missing."— PerWn'a  Hitt.  of  the  Late  War. 

The  battle  of  Bridgewater  or  Lundy's  Lane,  was  fought  on  the 
25th  of  July.  The  principal  scene  of  this  bloody  action,  was  at  an 
obscure  road,  called  Lundy's  Lane,  about  half  a  mile  westward  fromi 
the  Niagara  cataract.  •*  The  thunder  of  the  cannon,  the  roaring  of 
the  falls,  the  incessant  discharge  of  musketry,  the  groans  of  the  dying 
and  wounded,  during  the  six  hours  in  which  the  parties  were  engaged 
in  close  combat,  heightened  by  the  circumstances  of  its  being  in  the 
night,  afTorded  such  a  scene  as  is  rarely  to  be  met  with  in  the  annals 
of  slaughter.  The  evening  was  calm,  and  the  moon  shone  with 
lustre  when  not  enveloped  m  clouds  of  smoke  from  the  firing  of  the 
contending  armies."  Since  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  from  Chippewa, 
they  had  received  reinforcements  of  troops  from  Lord  Wellington's 
army  in  Spain ;  and  on  the  25th  of  July,  encamped  on  a  hill,  with 
the  design  of  attacking  the  Americans  the  next  morning. 

"  On  the  25th  ult.,  the  army  under  the  command  of  Major  Gen.  Brown  encamped  above 
Chippewa,  near  the  batde  ground  of  the  5th.  At  4  P.  M.,  information  was  received  that 
the  enemy  had  thrown  a  body  of  troops  acroaa  the  Niagara,  at  the  five-mile  meadowa ;  but 
our  commanding.general  was  not  diverted  by  this  movement.  The  1st  brigade,  under  Brig. 
Gen.  Scott,  moved  past  Chippewa  and  halted  at  Bridgewater,  a  mile  below  Chippewa,  in 
plain  view  of  Niagara  Falls.  Gen.  Scott  learnt  that  the  enemy,  under  Gen.  Riall,  waa  ap- 
proaching  him.  Battle  was  immediately  given  the  enemy,  near  Mr.  Wilson'a,  at  half  paat 
4  P.  M. ;  their  cannon  were  planted  about  200  rods  from  this  position  on  an  eminence. 
The  enemy's  numerical  force  was  much  superior  to  Gen.  Scott's ;  his  line  was  far  extended, 
and  he  showed  a  disposidon  to  flank. — In  order  to  counteract  these  views  of  Gen.  Riall,  he 
ym  fought  in  detaehment»—he  vaa  charged  in  column;  Gen.  Scott  being  at  the  head  of 
his  troops  in  almost  every  charge.— Capt.  Towson,  With  his  company  of  artillery,  attached 
to  Scott'a  brigade,  kept  up  hifl  fire  with  great  vigor  and  effect.  The  action  was  continued, 
and  the  ground  maintained  by  Gen.  Scott,  for  more  than  an  hour,  before  the  reserve  under 
Gen.  Ripley,  and  the  volimteere  undjr  Gen.  Porter,  were  successfully  brought  into  action. 

"  The  ground  was  obstinately  contested  until  past  9  o'clock,  in  the  evening,  when  Gen. 
Brown  perceiving  that  the  enemy's  artillery  waa  most  destructive,  decided  to  storm  the 
battery.    Col.  Miller,*  the  hero  of  Magagua,  waa  ordered  to  thia  enterprise ;  he  approached 

*  3n  receiving  this  order  from  Gen.  Brown,  Col.  Miller  calmly  surveyed  the  position,  and 


\ 


NIAOAtA   COUNTY. 

tne  •nemy'i  eannon  with  a  qulc!;  itep,  and  delivered  hia  fire  within  a  ftw  paeaa  of  iha 

•neiny'a  line ;  who,  after  receiving  two  or  three  roundi  and  a  vigoroua  charge,  retirMl  to  th« 

bottom  of  the  bill,  and  abandoned  hia  cannon.    Only  one  piece  waa  brought  off  the  field 

for  want  of  horaea.     The  enemy  now  gave  way  and  retreated  ;  they  wcro  followed  some 

diatanoe.    Our  army  waa  now  employed  in  aecuring  the  priaonera  and  bringing  off  tha 

wounded.— The  cewation  however  waa  abort:  Lieut.  General  Druminond  ia  auppoeed  to 

have  arrived  at  this  interval  with  a  reinforcement.    The  enemy  renewed  the  action,  whilat 

our  troopa  were  bueily  employed  in  clearing  the  ground  of  the  wounded  ;  but  the  gallant 

Americana  formed  witli  alacrity,  and  after  a  cloae  engagement  of  90  minutea,  the  enemy 

were  repuhied.     llio  army  now  off(,cted  the  removal  of  nearly  if  not  all  of  the  wounded. 

and  retired  from  the  ground,  it  being  nearly  19  o'clock  at  night;  they  returned  to  their  en! 

campment  in  good  order.    On  the  morning  of  the  98th,  our  force*  under  Generala  Ripley 

and  Sorter,  reconnoitred  the  enemy  near  the  battle  ground,  returned  and  burnt  the  Bridge. 

water  milla,  and  all  the  enemy'a  barracks,  and  the  bridge  at  Chippewa,  and  paaaod  up  tha 

""".    R  ftii        •  '^'l"®  «hey  made  a  atand.    The  enemy'a  force  engaged  muat  have  been 

nearly  5,000;  oura  abort  of  that  number.    Major.Oen.  Riall  waa  wounded,  and  taken  in 

..  ISr"     h"  "^^  ^^  ^"^^^  Kotehum,  together  with  one  of  hia  aid.,  the  other  being  killed. 

M«yor.Gen.  Brown  waa  severely  wounded  in  the  thigh  (boaidea  a  contuaioii  on  hia  body) 

in  the  hotteet  of  the  action,  but  continued  to  command  until  the  enemy  retreated.    Brig. 

Gen.  Scott  waa  alao  aeverely  wounded  by  a  grape  in  the  shoulder,  beaidca  a  severe  bruLM 

occaaioned  by  a  sheH  or  cannon  shot,  having  lost  9  horses,  killed.    Col.  Brady  99d  infan. 

?"  Maj^raJeaaup  95th,  Leavenworth  9th,  M'Niel  11th;  Brigade-major  Smith;  Lieuta. 

Campbell  and  Smouck,  artillery;  Lieut.  Worth,  aid  to  Gen.  Scott;  Lieut.  Camp  11th;  togethar 

with  many  othera,  whose  namea  we  have  not  learnt,  were  wounded,  some  badly.— Ihe 

\(m  of  the  enemy  in  killed  and  wounded,  was  rising  800,  exclusive  of  900  regulora  and  90 

^v",   TS'q"/'?."    .°d    '^  '"  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  ia  from  6  to  700.     Major 

M  i  arland  93d,  Capt.  Ritchie,  artillery,  Capts.  Kinney  and  Goodrich,  Lieut.  Bigelow.  infan- 

try,  and  several  other  officers,  killed ;  Capt.  Spencer,  aid  to  Mfgor-Gen.  Brown,  auppoaed  to 

be  mortally  wounded ;  Major  Stanton,  of  the  New  York  volunteers.  Adj.  Pew,  of  the  Penn. 

aylvania  volunteers,  killed.    Major  Camp,  of  the  staff,  lOst  two  horaea  on  Uie  field,  but  em, 

caped  a  wound.    The  9th,  11th,  and  95th,  suffered  very  aeverely." 

/ 


■»  View  of  Schlosser  Landing,  Niagara. 

The  above  is  a  northern  view  of  the  steamboat  landing  at  Porter's 
storehouse,  commonly  called  Schlosser  Landing,  upwards  of  two 

ET.J'A{.h'" '7k*  "'■•"•'*•'*?.''  expression  waa  afterward  the  motto  of  hia  regiment. 
York^»?H  .^5^^  n  ^V""'"'"^'  ^T-  ^""^'T  ^P*"*'*'^  """  °f  «he  chief-justice  of  New 
York,  and  aid  to  Gen.  Brown  was  despatched  with  orders  to  one  of  the  regiments;  when 
about  to  deliver  them,  he  suddenly  found  him«,lf  in  contact  with  a  British  coS^  withZa" 
coo  ness  and  a  firm  air,  he  inquired  what  regiment  ia  this  ?  On  being  answ^ed  theSw^ 
Scot*,  he  immediately  replied,  "  Soyal  SeoU,  remain  a,  you  are."  "rKmrnandant  ofS 

SntTTr  ^*•''  «"*'"  <="««  fr"^  »»?«=o>nmanding  Jeneral,  immedia°eTSSed  U»  re! 
gunent,  and  Captain  Spencer  rode  off.    Captain  Spencer  waa  afterwanl  mJfu».  ^.ZtJT 


884 


NIAGARA  COUNTY. 


miles  from  the  falls.  The  site  of  old  Fort  Schlosser  w  neerly  a  mile 
below  the  landing  :  it  was  anciently  a  stoccade  built  upon  banks  slightly 
raised  above  the  plain.  The  steamboat  CaroUne,  the  burnmg  of  which 
has  caused  so  much  sensation  on  the  frontiers,  lay  beside  the  store- 
house represented  in  the  engraving.  Part  of  the  village  of  Chippewa, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Niagara  river,  is  seen  on  the  right  in  the 
extreme  (hstance.  Navy  Island,  so  celebrated  as  a  place  of  resort  tor 
the  Canadian  patriots,  or  rebels,  as  they  are  alternately  called,  is  seen 
to  the  left  beyond  the  store-house.  The  following  passages,  relative 
to  the  transactions  on  Navy  Island,  while  in  possession  of  the  patri- 
ots, and  the  burning  of  the  Caroline,  are  extracted  from  "De  Veauxs 
Falls  of  Niagara." 

"  About  the  middle  of  the  month  of  December,  1837,  twenty-eight  men,  principallyCa- 
nadians.  with  Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  and  William  Lyon  Mackenwe,  went  on  Navy 
Island.  They  called  to  them  the  patriots  of  Canada,  and  all  others  the  fnends  of  that 
cause.  In  the  space  of  three  Weeks,  between  three  and  four  hundred  responded  to  the 
call:  some  from  the  United  States,  and  uome  from  Canada.  They  brought  with  them 
~  arms  and  provisions.  They  stayed  on  the  island  for  one  month,  and  then,  at  their  own 
choice,  left  it,  and  not  in  fear  of  their  opponents.  Opposite  to  them  were  assembled  five 
thousand  men,  consisting  of  British  regulars,  incorporated  miliUa,  and  a  body  of  Indians 
and  neeroes.  Batteries  ware  erected,  and  balls  and  sheila  were,  at  intervals,  cast  upon  the 
island.  The  islanders  were  incessantly  in  a  state  of  danger  and  alarm ;  yet  they  would, 
at  times,  provokingly  return  the  fire;  still  they  remained  unattacked.  For  a  month,  a 
raw.  undisciplined  band  of  men,  in  the  severity  of  winter,  with  no  shelter  but  such  as  they 
then  constructed,  and  miserably  clad,  set  at  defiance  and  laughed  at  the  overwhelmmg 
force,  which  lay  so  near  to  them  that  they  frequently  conversed  together. 

"The  steamboat  Caroline  came  from  BuflSilo,  on  the  29th  of  December,  it  was  said,  to 
ply  as  a  ferrv-boat  between  Schlosser  and  Navy  Island.  It  passed,  that  day,  forth  and 
back  several  times,  and  before  sun-down  was  brought  to  the  wharf  at  Schloswr.and 
moored  for  the  night.  At  that  place  there  was  but  one  house,  and  that  a  tavern.  The 
warlike  movements  between  the  patriots  and  British  had  drawn  to  the  frontier,  through 
motives  of  curiosity,  a  great  number  of  persons.  The  tavern  was  crowded— lodgings  could 
not  be  obtained— and  several  persons,  observing  the  steamboat,  sought  for  accommoda- 
tions on  board,  and  were  received.  In  the  middle  of  the  night,  the  watch,  for  a  watch  on 
board  steamboato  is  usually  kept,  saw  something  advancing  on  the  water.  He  hailed,  but 
before  he  could  give  the  alarm  a  body  of  armed  men  rushed  on  board,  shot  at  the  sentinel 
and  all  they  met,  crying—'  Cut  them  down ."  '  Give  no  quarter. >'  No  airos  were  on 
board  of  the  boat ;  no  attack  was  expected ;  and  no  resistance  was  made.  Some  got  on 
shore  uninjured ;  others  were  severely  cut  and  dangerously  wounded.  One  man  was 
■hot  dead  on  the  wharf,  and  twelve  were  missing,  either  killed,  or  burnt  and  sunk  with 
the  boat  They  towed  the  boat  out  in  the  river,  and  set  it  on  fire ;  the  flames  burst 
forth;  it  drifted  slowly,  and  its  blaze  shone  far  and  wide  over  the  water  and  a4jaceut 

"  On  the  Canada  side,  at  a  distance  above  Chipp »W8,  was  burning  a  large  light,  as  a  signal 
to  those  engaged  in  the  expedition.  In  a  short  time,  an  astounding  shout  came  booming  over 
the  water :  it  was  for  the  success  and  return  of  those  who  had  performed  this  deed.  The 
beacon  was  extingubhed.  The  Caroline  still  moved  on,  and  cast  its  lurid  light  far  and 
wide,  clothing  U»e  scene  in  gloom  and  horror ;  and  just  below  the  pomt  of  Ine  Island,  sud- 
denly disappeared.  Many  of  th»  wrecked  and  charred  remains  were,  the  next  mormng, 
floating  in  the  current  and  eddies  below  the  falls." 

Youngstown,  port  of  delivery  on  the  Niagara  river,  1  mile  above 
Lake  Ontario,  19  miles  NW.  from  Lockport,  has  about  40  dwell- 

Vhe  following  is  a  distant  view  of  Fort  Niagara  as  seen  from  near 
the  lighthouse  on  the  British  side.  The  engraviiig  froni  which  the 
above  was  copied,  was  published  during  the  last  war,  and  shows  its 


% 


NIAGARA   COUNTY. 


236 


Distant  view  of  Fort  Niagara, 


TZTZnl^icT'^^-..^^^'  19th  of  Dec,  1813.aBritish  force 
oi  more  man  1,200  men  crossed  over  and  took  the  fort  bv  surnrise 

and  ie  X?n?tr'f  ?  "^  ^"'  ''^'  ^"^  '^^  commLder  vfas  afsenti 
aflr^s  L  ±hfi  ""''k  ^P""  ""^  unguarded.  The  result  of  the 
aiiacK  was  as  might  have  been  expecte(t-sixtv-five  of  th»»  cr«r^«^Z 

were  killed;  twenty-seven  pieces  o?  ordnance Ldlarg^pSe" 
of  military  stores  were  takpn.     The  4,>ii^,..:__  :_:"     ..e^  quantiues 


l-J^^inf-- --  Jt^n     The  following  ieS  Krical 

taken  from  «De  Veaux's  Falls  of  Niagai 


ara," 


account  of  this  place,  is 
published  in  1839. 

"  This  fortress  is  in  latitude  43  den.  14  spp  N     Tn  i  fi7Q  n 

palisades,  by  M.  De  Salle  an  offir«?  i„  f1f«         •        r  I*'  *  "'"''l  "P*"  *"  enclosed  by 

dered  to  the  Americans.    This  old  fort  in  na  m.ihT^LTr        """^ch,  1815,  again  surren- 

can  revolution,  it  was  the  headCrers  of^ll^h-f  r*  °k  '^k  """■^^'-  ?"""«  ">«  ^meri 
There,  were  congregated  the1eX"aTd  chiefs  of  .hn^"'.,'''^^"^'*  T''""''"»«  ""«*  <'™«'- 
that  carried  death  and  destruction  ^t^L™!  a  ^■"'^'  of  murderers  and  miscreants. 
Europe  reveUed  with  savZ^SricL  •  .UZ^  Amencan  settlements.  There,  civilized 
the  Bicietyof  those  wroLTnltdi^dSctionlS^^^^^^  "I"^  '"^^^^^  ™"«'«'» '•> 

knife.    There,  the  squaws  of^hetre8t  were  raked  to  '-^n'^'' tomahawk  and  scalping. 

=,  1^=  sXhori  ifeTnl'^r^^'  =TpClnno=Za 

until  the  hour  of  action  cakil/^ain'^  ^  "'  *^"^'''  '"'*  *«"  ^^^  """™«» *«  «»•«*. 

buUding  and  the  laigest  in  the  forrwTeSS  bv  s^tZ^  T*  "^^"^^  '?."  ^V^  ■"«"« 
powerful  body  of  French  trooos  hadTnl^H  -t  Z^  -T^'^A  considerable,  though  not 
"ummnding  Indians,  of  wh3therwereund«r  i^""'"*;  J''""  ^""""V!^"  »"<■«"«'  '»  *« 
«nt  of  the  IndiaT^  buUd  a  wiawa^  and  iL«H  ^^^y  °'»'""«'J  «=«»»• 

engage  in  an  extensive  hunt  m  mt^rials  hid  hi  'hem  with  some  of  their  officer,,  to 
were  al^ent,  the  F«„ch  bJilt.'^WhrSf  oS^'e^^t.^^^^^^^^ 

«.  .tHK«.    in  progreM  of  tune,  it  became  a  plac«  of  considerable  atrength.    ItbwJ 

net) 


■"'*'«!»i;rf?-^ 


226 


ONSIDA  COVNTT. 


ha  butktiMt  nvinM ;  iti  ditch  and  pieketa ;  ita  cnrtaina  and  oonnteiaearp ;  ita  eorand  way ; 
dnwinidm,  raking-batteriea ;  its  atone  towen,  laboratory,  and  magaxine ;  iU  mea-houae, 
bamcka,  bakery,  and  Uackamith  shop ;  and,  for  wonhip,  a  ohapel,  with  a  large  ancient 
dial  orer  the  door,  to  mark  the  hourly  coune  of  the  aun.  It  waa,  indeed,  a  little  city  of 
itaelf,  and  fi>r  a  long  period  the  greateat  place  south  of  Montreal,  or  weat  of  Albany.  The 
fortifioationa  originally  c?-ered  a  apace  of  about  eight  acrea.  At  a  few  rods  from  the  bar- 
rier gate  waa  the  burying  ground ;  it  was  filled  with  memorials  of  the  muUbility  ef  hu- 
man life ;  and  over  the jportala  of  the  entrance  waa  painted,  in  large  and  emphatic  char- 
Mian,  the  word  •  REST.'  ,  „  ^ 

"  It  ia  generally  believed,  that  some  of  the  distant  fortresses  of  France  were  often  oon- 
VOTted  into  state  prisona,  aa  well  aa  for  defensive  purposea.  There  was  much  about  Fort 
Niagara  to  eatabliah  the  belief  Uiat  it  had  been  used  as  such.  The  dungeon  of  the  meaa- 
honao,  called  the  black-hole,  was  a  strong,  dark,  and  dismal  place ;  and  in  one  comer  of 
the  imai  waa  fixed  the  qiparatus  for  straueling  such  unhappy  wretches  b.  fell  under  the 
displewure'irf'  the  despotic  ralen  of  those  days.  The  walls  of  thia  dungeon,  ftom  tm^to 
bottom,  had  engraved  upon  them  French  names,  and  mementoes  in  that  language.  That 
the  prisoners  were  no  common  persons  was  clear,  as  the  letters  and  emblems  were  chis- 
elled out  m  good  style.  In  June,  1812,  when  an  attack  was  momentarily  expected  upon 
the  fort  by  a  superior  British  force,  a  merchant,  resident  at  Fort  Niagara,  deposited  some 
valuable  articles  in  this  dungeon.  He  took  occasion,  one  night,  to  visit  it  with  a  light ; 
he  examined  the  walls,  and  there,  among  hundreds  of  French  names,  he  saw  his  own 
fomily  name  engraved  in  large  letters.  He  took  no  notes,  and  has  no  recollection  of  the 
other  names  and  memorials ;  he  intended  to  repeat  his  visit,  and  to  extend  his  examina- 
ti<m,  but  other  avocations  caused  the  subject  to  be  neglected ;  and  it  was  not  brought  to 
mind  again  until  of  late  years,  when  all  was  changed.  In  further  corroboration  that  Fort 
Niagara  had  witnessed  scenes  of  guilt  and  foul  murder,  was  the  fact  that,  in  1805,  it  be- 
came necessary  to  clear  out  an  old  sink  attached  to  the  mess-house.  The  bones  of  a  fe- 
male were  found  therein,  evidently,  from  the  place  where  discovered,  the  victim  of  soma 
atrocious  crime. 

"  There  were  many  legendary  stories  about  the  fort  In  the  centre  of  the  meas-houso 
was  a  well  of  water,  but,  it  having  been  poisoned  by  some  of  the  former  occupants,  in 
latter  yea«  the  water  waa  not  used ;  and  it  was  a  story  with  the  soldiers,  and  believed  by 
the  supeistitious,  that  at  midnight  the  headless  trunk  of  a  French  general  officer  was  often 
seen  sitting  on  the  curb  of  the  old  well,  where  he  had  been  murdered,  and  his  body  thrown 
in ;  and,  accordbg  to  dreamers  and  money-digsers,  large  treasures,  both  in  gold  and  sil- 
ver, have  been  buried  in  many  of  the  nooks  and  comew  of  the  old  fort  Many  applica- 
tions used  to  be  made  to  the  American  officers,  to  dig  for  money,  and  peiaons  have  been 
known  to  come  from  a  ctmaiderable  distance  for  that  purpose.  The  requesU  were,  of 
counw,  refused." 


ONEIDA  COUNTY. 

Oneida  county  was  taken  from  Herkimer  in  1789 ;  since  much  re- 
duced by  the  formation  of  other  counties.  Oneida  is  a  corruption  of 
the  Indian  word  Oneiyuta,  signifying  upright  or  standing  stone. 
Greatest  length  N.  and  S.  47,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  40  miles. 
From  New  York  NW.  252,  from  Albany  107  miles.  The  surface 
has  just  diversity  and  unevenness  enough  to  form  a  pleasing  variety, 
and  to  supply  brisk  streams  of  pure  water,  and  a  salubrious  atmo- 
sphere. Hardly  a  farm  is  without  perpetual  streams  and  brooks. 
The  northeast  and  southern  parts  approach  a  hilly  character,  a  wa- 
ving surface  with  an  easy  swell ;  the  northwest  part  is  tolerably  level, 
and  the  central  richly  variegated  with  easy  undulations.  The  soil  is 
of  various  qualities,  but  everywhere  rich  and  productive.    The  cot- 


VUll     ait%x      TTWriJV-«I 


msnnfanturpa  nrA  nnrriAH  on  hp.re  more  extensively 


} 


ONEIDA  COUNTY. 


287 


than  in  any  other  county  in  the  state.      The  Erie  canal  crosses  this 

counly,  following  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  river  to  Rome,  and 

there  turns  southwestward  into  Madison  county.     This  section  of  the 

canal  18  part  of  the  long  level  69^  miles  in  length,  extending  from 

l-rankfort  in  Herkimer  county  to  Spacuse  in  Onondaga.    The  route 

ot  the  Chenango  canal,  which  unites  the  Susquehannah  river  with  the 

/It  ^^^1,  leaves  the  latter  at  Utica,  passing  thence  into  the  vaUev 

ot  the  Oriskany,  and  thence  follows  the  same  into  the  county  of  Madi- 

son.     Another  canal  is  also  commenced,  uniting  the  Black  river  with 

the  hne  canal ;  it  leaves  the  latter  at  Rome,  and  follows  thence  up 

the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  crosses  the  dividing  ridge  between 

the  waters  of  the  same  and  the  Black  river  in  the  town  of  BoonviUe. 

I'arts  of  the  Utica  and  Schenectady,  and  Utica  and  Syracuse  rail- 

roads,  are  m  this  county.   The  county  buildings  are  located  at  Whites- 

borough,  Utica,  and  Rome.    The  county  is  divided  into  25  towns  and 

the  cuy  oi  Utica  : 


Annsville, 

Augusta, 

Bocnville, 

Bridgewater, 

Camden, 

Deerfield, 

Florence, 


Floyd,  Remsen,  Verona, 

Kirkland,  Rome,  Vienna, 

If^*  Sangerfield,  Western, 

JI"7'n  Steuben,  Westmoreland, 

Marshall,  Trenton,  Whitestown. 
New  Hartford,    Utica, 

Paris,  Vernon, 


Utica  city  comprehends  the  former  town  and  village  of  that  name 
taken  from  Whitestown  in  1817.     It  was  incorporated  a  city  in  1832' 

;S5oT7  74rTrr';^'-    its  population  SlSSO,  was  l323fin 
vfnn  'iJ  ;i    /  ^^"'^u""  '^^'''^  ^^^  ^>ty  ^»  "t'lated  is  a  rich  aUu- 

vion,  nsmg  gently  from  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  river,  and  was 

rX  1  ^  '"Tf  ^^^"  «'«^*^^  ^°^*h  °f  ^*''««t  trees.   Yts^ira 
cen  ral  point  for  road^,  canals,  &c..  to  various  parts  of  the^  state 
Distance  from  Albany  96  miles,  from  New  York  241,  from  bS 
IT'iroril^tT  l^.^'fr^'"  Oswego  76,  from  Sacketts  H«bt 
TI'oK      u        o  o^' u "**  ^''°'"  Ogdensburg  145  miles.    It  contains 
ntrh  R 'f'~^^'f'fe*7ri,^  Methodist:  2  Baptist,  1  EpiscopaU 
Rpttl  ^fVfj^f  1  ^elsh  Presbyterian,   1   Cat'holii,  1  trienV  1 
Bethel,  and  1  Universahst.    There  are  three  banks,  iith  an  agL- 
gate  capital  of  one  million  and  a  half  of  dollars.    The  buildin^^ 
generally  very  good,  the  stories  large  and  splendid.     There  arf  Jne 
frTol'"   rbl^*^^t^°"«'  ^"^l"ding  newsnapers,  4  academies  or  high 
schoo  8,  and  numerous  moral,  religious,  benevolent,  and  scientific  L 

BOClaliOnS . 

25Kf  Juiriftqfi^  't^  ^'r  ^^"^°H^*^  ^'''  °P^"«^  <>"  Monday, 
ran  «K      ^i'  ^^^'    ^^^.  ^"'^  ^'^^'^  °^  ^^^rs,  drawu  by  a  locomotive 
tZ^!  r^°^^  ^'f "'"  ^^^''  ^^"*  ^*y-     This  road  was  constructed  S 

T^u    f    '        P®^  ™'^®  '  clistance  77  miles. 
1  he  first  buildmg  erected  within  the  limits  of  Utica  wa«  «  muA  fnr» 
consmi,2iea  dunng  the  old  French  war.     It  was  situated  "betW^eS 


M 


0 


i 


2S8 


ONEIDA   COUNTY. 


Main-Street  and  the  banks  of  the  river,  a  little  eastward  of  Second- 
street,  and  named  Fort.  Schuyler,  in  honor  of  Col.  Schuyler,  an 
uncle  of  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler  of  the  revolution. 

"  The  settlement  of  Utica  commenced  at  an  early  period,  but  was 
not  prosecuted  with  the  vicor  that  the  neighboring  settlements  were. 
Whitestown  was  regarded  as  the  great  central  point  of  the  whole 
region  up  to  the  years  1793  or  1794.  At  this  period  quite  a  village 
had  grown  up  there,  while  Utica,  or  old  Fort  Schuyler,  as  its  site 
was  then  called,  could  boast  of  but  three  houses.  About  this  time 
the  public  attention  was  directed  to  Rome,  as  the  probable  future  nie- 
tropolis  of  the  state.  Its  local  position  favored  the  idea.  It  occupied 
the  portage  or  carrying  place  between  the  Mohawk  and  Wood  creek, 
which,  discharging  through  Oneida  lake  into  Lake  Ontario,  formed  a 
channel  of  communication  between  the  Hudson  and  the  whole  chain 
of  western  lakes.  The  connecting  the  two  streams  by  a  navigable 
canal,  which  was  projected  at  a  very  early  day,  and  was  accomplished 
by  the  Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company,  which  was  char- 
tered in  1792,  encouraged  the  belief,  that  that  site  must  become  the 
focus  of  the  business  of  the  country.  And  for  several  years  the 
^Towth  of  Rome  warranted  the  expectation.  The  location  of  the 
Seneca  turnpike  road  first  operated  to  change  the  current  of  business 
and  divert  it  to  this  location.  This  event  took  place  in  the  year  1800, 
and  the  crossing  of  the  river  at  this  point  rendered  it  immediately  im- 
portant as  a  place  of  deposite  and  of  trade.  A  steady  and  healthful 
growth  ensued,  and  the  aid  and  influence  of  enlightened  and  enter- 
prising men  in  the  various  walks  of  life,  contributed  very  shortly  to 
render  it  the  leading  place  of  business  in  the  neighborhood.  Its  pres- 
ent name  was  given  to  it  in  1798,  when  it  was  incorporated  as  a  vil- 
lage, and  it  has  since  then  continued  its  municipal  capacity  until  the 
present  day. 

The  first  church  gathered  in  this  city  was  organized  under 
the  care  of  the  Rev.  Bethuel  Dodd,  as  a  branch  of  the  church  at 
Whitestown,  in  the  year  1794.  The  style  of  the  corporation  was — 
"  The  United  Presbyterian  Societies  of  Whitestown  and  old  Fort 
Schuyler."  Previous  to  that  time,  although  the  people  of  Whitestown 
had  employed  a  clergyman,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hillyer,  whom  I  have  al- 
ready mentioned,  they  had  not  settled  a  pastor.  Mr.  Dodd  was  or- 
dained pastor  of  the  United  Societies.  The  union  of  the  two 
churches  continued  for  more  than  twenty  years,  under  the  pastorates 
of  Mr.  Dodd  and  his  successor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Camahan.  They  were 
the  first  Presbyterian  churches  organized  west  of  the  city  of  Albany, 
those  at  CUnton  and  New  Hartford  being  Congregational  in  their  forms 
of  government.  The  Episcopal  church  in  this  city  was  gathered  in 
1798,  and  its  present  church  edifice  erected  in  1803." — Tracy^s  Lec- 
tures. 

Rome,  one  of  the  shiretowns  of  Oneida  county,  was  incorporated 
in  1796.  The  village  of  Rome,  occupying  the  site  of  old  Fort  Slan- 
wix,  was  incorporated  in  1819.  The  two  first  white  families  who  lo- 
cated themselves  al  this  ^pot,wcre  Uiose  of  Iwu  men  fruiu  German  i^lals, 


r 


^ 


( * 


he 


ONEIDA   COUNTT.  %, 

named  Roof  and  Brodock.  who  settled  at  the  landing  place  on  the 

Mohawk  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Stanwix.  to  gain  a^livelSioS  by 

Trn.? S.'"  *^'  transportation  of  goods  destined^for  the  Mim^adt 

no  SX  if  ?r^f^fT  ^'°"'  '^^  "^^^  *o  Wood  creek.  They  held 
no  title  to  their  lands  but  occupied  them  under  a  contract  for  their 

IZntZlT  ^^T  ^'^T^'  °"^  «^  '^^  proprietors  of  the  OrisSy 
natent,  who  was  afterward  attainted  of  treason.  This  little  outpost 
however,  was  broken  up  during  the  revolutionary  war.  The  W 
regular  settlement  of  Rome  was  by  emigrants  from  the  New  England 


Southern  view  of  Rome. 


The  above  is  a  southern  view  of  part  of  the  village  as  viewed  from 
tll^'lT*^  V"''-    Tjie  building  seen  on  the  rightliaving  four  cK 

S  nf  t"K  *  ^f7/^!\^''^''^}  fr^'"  *^«  centra!  part  of  the  fortifica- 
^ons  of  the  old  fSrt,  the  cellar  of  which  is  stHl  to  be  seen.  The 
Black  river  cana  passes  a  few  rods  this  side  of  the  buildings  seen  in 
the  engravmg;  the  Ene  canal  is  about  half  a  mile  westwS-d  of  the 
^1  a|:e.  Mohawk  river  and  Wood  creek,  at  this  place,  approach 
withm  a  mile  of  each  other ;  in  1797,  a  canal  was  completed  between 
the  two  streams,  thus  connecting  the  waters  of  the  Mohawk  with 

Sh  ^;      Presbyterian,  2  Baptist,  1  Episcopal,  and  1  Methodist 
church,  an  academy  incorporated  m  1835,  a  bank,  printing  office 
and  a  number  of  select  schools.    The  United  States  arsenalTa 
barracks,  sufficient  for  a  regiment,  were  erected  here  in  1818,  under 

mft  f  fu'\  ""^  ^^i-  ^^""^^  ^^"^*'^-  '^^"^e  "  situated  on  the  smn- 
S  Jrffi  ?  Tk  tfie  ocean  and  Lake  Ontario,  four  hundred  and 
thirty.five  feet  above  tide  at  Albany;  lat  43°  12';  long.  1°  27'  W 

Pr7  920.  ^'''""^  ^'"™  ^^"^y  "-'  fr°™  Utfca  15  miles: 

.  Fort  Stanwix,  named  from  Gen.  Stanwix,  was  originally  erected 
in  the  year  1768,  during  the  French  war.  It  occupTed  a  Son 
commanding  the  carrying  place  betw^Pn  thp  nnv;«.iKfo  ,lr.-rr"lu^ 
Mohawk  and  Wood  creek."  and  was  regardeYas  Setyinhe'^^^^^^ 


880 


/ 


ONEIDA   COUNTY. 


municstion  between  Canada  and  the  settlements  on  the  Mohawk. 
*•  It  was  originally  a  square  fort,  having  four  bastions  surmounted  by 
a  broad  and  deep  ditch,  with  a  covert  way  and  glacis.    In  the  centre 
of  tl«  ditch  a  row  of  perpendicular  pickets  was  planted,  and  another 
horizontal  row  fixed  around  the  ramparts.    But  although  the  pnnci- 
pal  fortress  had  been  erected  at  the  enormous  expense  for  those  times 
of  $266,400,  yet  at  the  commencement  of  the  revolutionary  war  the 
whole  was  in  ruins.    On  the  incursion  of  Bureoyne  from  Montreal 
towards  Albany,  a  detachment  of  the  invading  forces,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Col.  St.  Leger,  consisting  of  200  British  troops,  a  regiment 
of  loyalists,  and  a  large  body  of  Indians  under  Brant,  the  great  cap- 
tain of  the  Six  Nations,  went  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  then  to  Osweeo, 
and  from  thence  to  Fort  Stanwlx.     From  this  point  it  was  mtended 
to  pass  down  the  Mohawk  and  join  the  forces  of  Burgoyne  at  Albany. 
Gen.  Schuyler,  who  had  the  command  of  the  northwestern  frontier, 
sent  Col.  Dayton  to  repair  the  works  at  Fort  Stanwix.    He  seems  to 
have  done  little  towards  effecting  this  object ;  he  however  thought 
proper  to  change  its  name  to  Fort  Schuyler,  which  name  it  retamed 
during  the  war.     Gen.  Peter  Gansevoort  was  afterward  sent  to 
supply  his  place.    On  the  8d  of  August,  Col.  St.  Leger  arrived  be- 
fore the  fort  with  his  whole  force,  consisting  of  a  motley  collection 
of  British  regulars,  Hessians,  Tories,  and  about  one  thousand  Indians. 
The  garrison,  imder  Col.  Gansevoort,  consisted  of  about  750  men. 
Soon  after  his  arrival,  St.  Leger  sent  a  flag  into  the  fort  with  a  mani- 
festo, advising  submission  to  the  mercy  of  the  king,  and  denouncing 
severe  vengeance  against  those  who  should  continue  in  their  '  uniatu- 
ral  rebellion.'    This  manifesto  produced  no  effect  on  the  brave  garri- 
son, who  had  determined  to  defend  the  fortress  to  the  last  extremity. 
At  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  [see  Whitestown,;)  when  Gen. 
Herkimer  was  advancing  to  the  relief  of  the  hrt,  a  diversion  was 
made  in  his  favor,  by  a  sortie  of  250  men,  unaer  the  command  of 
Col.  Willet.    Such  was  the  impetuosity  of  Willet's  movements,  that 
Sir  John  Johnson  and  his  regiment,  who  lay  near  the  fort  with  his 
Indian  allies,  sought  safety  in  flight.    The  amount  of  spoil  found  in 
the  enemy's  camp  was  so  great  that  Willet  sent  hastily  for  wagons 
to  convey  it  away.    The  spoil  thus  captured,  twenty  wagon  loads, 
consisted  of  camp  equipage,  clothing,  blankets,  stores,  &c^  five 
British  standards,  and  the  baggage  and  papers  of  most  of  the  officers. 
For  this  brilUant  exploit,  congress  directed  that  Col.  Willet  should  be 
presented  with  an  elegant  sword  in  the  name  of  the  United  States. 

The  siege  of  the  fort  still  continued,  and  the  situation  of  the  garn- 
Bon,  though  not  desperate,  began  to  be  somewhat  critical.  Col.  Wil- 
let and  Maj.  Stockwell  readily  undertook  the  hazardous  mission  ot 
passing  through  the  enemy's  lines  to  arouse  their  countrvmen  to  their 
relief.  After  creeping  on  their  hands  and  knees  through  the  enemy  s 
encampment,  and  adopting  various  arts  of  concealment,  they  pursued 
their  way  through  swamps  and  pathless  woods,  until  they  arrived 
gofoNr  at  G*»rman  Flats,  and  from  thence  to  the  head-quarters  ot 
Gen.''Schuyler,  then  commanding  the  American  army  at  Stillwater 


ONEIDA  COUNTY. 


381 


Gen.  Arnold  was  immediately  despatched  with  a  body  of  troot^s  to  the 
relief  of  Co!.  Gansevoort.*    As  he  was  advuncing  un  the  Mohawk, 
he  captured  a  tory  by  the  name  of  Hon-yoat  Schuyfer,  who  being  a 
spy,  was  cond^imned  to  death.    Hon-yost  •♦  wai  one  of  the  coarsest 
and  most  ignorant  men  in  the  valley,  appearing  scarce  half  removed 
from  idiocv ;  and  yet  there  was  no  small  share  oi  shrewdness  in  his 
character. '    He  was  promised  his  life  if  he  would  go  to  the  enemy, 
particularly  the  Indians,  and  alarm  them  by  announcing  that  a  large 
army  of  the  Americans  was  in  full  ninrch  to  destroy  them,  &c.    Hon- 
yost  being  acquainted  with  many  of  the  Indians,  gladly  accepted  the 
offer ;  one  of  his  brothers  was  detained  as  a  hostage  for  his  fidelity, 
and  was  to  be  hung  if  he  proved  treacherous.    A  friendly  Oneida 
Indian  was  let  into  the  secret,  and  cheerfully  embarked  in  the  design. 
Upon  Hon-yost's  arrival,  he  told  a  lamentable  story  of  his  being 
taken  by  Arnold,  and  of  his  escape  from  being  hanged.    He  showed 
them  also  several  shot-holes  in  his  coat,  which  he  said  were  made  by 
bullets  fired  at  him  when  making  his  escape.    Knowing  the  character 
of  the  Indians,  he  communicated  his  intelligence  to  them  in  a  mysteri- 
°"fj^I!'*i"lP*'^^"^  manner.   When  asked  the  number  of  men  which  Ar- 
nold had,  he  shook  his  head  mysteriously  and  pointed  upward  to  the 
leaves  of  the  trees.    These  reports  spread  rapidly  through  the  camps. 
Meantime  the  fnendly  Oneida  arrived  with  a  belt  and  confirmed  what 
Hon-yost  had  said,  hinting  that  a  bird  had  brought  him  intelligence 
of  great  moment.    On  his  way  to  the  camp  of  the  besiegers  he  had 
fallen  in  with  two  or  three  Indians  of  his  acquaintance,  who  readily 
engaged  in  furthering  his  design.     These  sagacious  fellows  dropped 
into  the  camp  as  if  by  accident :  they  spoke  of  warriors  in  great  num- 
bers rapidly  advancing  against  them.     The  Americans,  it  was  stated, 
did  not  wish  to  injure  the  Indians,  but  if  they  contmued  with  the 

•A  short  time  previous  to  the  investment  of  the  fortress  the  foUowing  singular  incident 
occurred.—"  Capt.  Greg  went  with  two  of  his  soldiers  into  the  woods  a  short  distance  to 
shoot  pigeons ;  a  party  of  Indians  started  suddenly  from  concealment  in  the  bushes,  shot 
them  all  down,  tomahawked  and  scalped  them,  and  left  them  for  dead.  The  captain,  after 
some  time  revived,  and  perceiving  his  men  were  kiUed,  himself  robbed  of  his  scalp,  and 
wffenng  extreme  agony  from  his  numerous  wounds,  made  an  effort  to  move  and  lay  his 
bleeding  head  on  one  of  the  dead  bodies,  expecting  soon  to  expire.  A  faithful  dog  who 
acconipanied  him  manifested  great  agitation,  and  in  the  tenderest  manner  Ucked  his 
wounds,  which  afforded  him  great  relief  from  exquisite  distress.  He  then  directed  the  dog 
as  it  a  human  being,  to  go  m  search  of  some  person  to  come  to  his  relief.  The  animid 
With  every  appearance  of  anxiety,  ran  about  a  mile,  when  he  met  with  two  men  fishinff  iil 
the  nyer,  and  endeavored  m  the  moat  moving  manner,  by  whining  and  piteous  criw.  to 
prevail  on  them  to  follow  him  mto  the  woods.  Struck  with  the  singular  conduct  of  the  dw 
they  were  mduced  to  follow  him  part  of  the  way,  but  fearing  some  decoy,  or  danger,  they 
were  about  to  return,  when  the  dog,  fixing  his  eyes  on  them,  renewed  hia  entrrades  by  hu 
cnes,  and  taking  hold  of  their  clothes  with  his  teeth,  prevailed  on  diem  to  foUow  him  to  die 
fatal  spot.  Such  was  die  remarkable  fideUty  and  sagacity  of  this  animal.  Capt.  Greg  was 
immediately  earned  to  the  fort,  where  his  wounds  were  dressed;  he  was  afterwani  n. 
moved  to  our  hospitaj,  and  put  under  my  care.    He  was  a  most  frightful  spectacle,  die 

had  penetrated  dirough  the  skuU;  there  was  a  wound  on  his  back  widi  die  same  instru. 
ment,  besides  a  wound  m  his  nde  and  anodier  through  his  arm  by  a  musket  ball.  This 
wiforttinate  man,  after  suffenng  extremely  for  a  long  time,  finally  recovered,  and  appeared 
Tl^^.  wH^  rlJL'T*  •"■  •"''P  '*"'«««'  ^  •»"•  *""«•>  uncovered  widi  Juir."— 


23S 


ONEID\   COUNTY. 


H 


BritiRh  they  must  all  share  one  common  fate.  The  Indian?  were 
thorouffhly  alarmed,  and  determined  on  an  immediate  flight,  being  al- 
ready di8j(»n»UA:  Mfii'  the  British  service.  Col.  St.  Leger  exhorted, 
ar^ed,  and  h.ndc  'nUcing  offers  to  the  Indians  to  remain,  but  all  in 
Tain,  ile  hIIi  nu)  id  to  get  them  drunk,  but  they  refused  to  drink. 
When  ho  found  them  determined  to  go,  he  urged  them  to  m(  ^e  in  the 
rear  of  his  army ;  but  they  charged  him  with  a  dc  ign  to  sacrince  them 
to  his  safety.  In  a  mixture  of  rage  and  despair,  he  broke  up  his  en* 
campment  with  such  haste,  that  he  left  his  tents,  cannon,  and  stores  to 
the  besieged.  The  friendly  Ov"-^  accompanied  the  tlying  army,  and 
being  naturally  a  wag,  !  u.  engaged  huj  companions  who  were  in  the  se- 
cret, to  repeat  atproper  intervals  the  cry,  "  TViey  are  coming !  they 
are  coming !"  This  appalling  cry  quickened  the  flight  of  the  fugitives 
wherever  it  was  heard.  The  soldiers  threw  away  their  packs ;  and 
the  commanders  took  care  not  to  be  in  the  rear.  After  much  fatigue 
and  mortification,  they  finally  reached  Oneida  Lake  ;  and  there  proba- 
bly, for  the  first  time,  felt  secure  from  the  pursuit  of  their  enemies. 
From  this  place  St.  Leger  hastened  with  his  sr.ittered  forces  back  to 
Oswego,  and  thence  to  Montreal. 

Hon-yost,  after  accompanying  the  flying  army  as  far  as  the  estuary 
of  Wood  creek,  left  them  and  returned  to  Fort  Schuyler,  and  gave 
the  first  information  to  Colonel  Gansevoort  of  the  approach  of  Arnold. 
From  thence  he  proceeded  to  German  Flats,  and  on  presenting  him- 
self at  Fort  Dayton  his  brother  was  discharged.  He  rfoon  after  rejoin- 
ed the  British  standard,  attaching  himself  to  the  forces  under  Sir  John 
Johnson. 

Whitestown  was  organized  in  1788.  It  lies  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mohawk,  having  an  undulating  surface  with  broad  and  fertile  val- 
leys. It  is  drained  by  the  Oriskany  and  Sauquoit  crooks,  on  which 
are  numerous  mills  of  various  kinds.  Oriskany,  Whitesborough,  and 
Yorkmills  are  post  villages.  Whitesborough,  the  principal  village,  is 
near  the  confluence  of  Sadaquada  or  Sauquoit  creek  with  the  Mohawk, 
contains  about  100  dwelling-houses,  2  churches,  an  academy,  and  the 
Oneida  Institute.  Distant  100  miles  from  Albany  ;  4  from  Utica,  and 
1 1  from  Rome.  Oriskany  village,  7  miles  from  Utica,  on  the  line  of 
the  canal  and  railroad,  is  a  large  manufacturing  village  containing 
about  200  dwellings.  Oriskany  Falls  village,  20  miles  from  Utica,  on 
the  line  of  the  Chenango  canal,  contains  about  80  dwellings. 

The  following  is  a  SW.view  of  the  Oneida  Institute,  as  seen  from 
the  Erie  canal,  which  passes  a  short  distance  from  these  buildings. 
The  "Oneida  Institute  of  Science  and  Industry,"  was  founded  in  1827; 
incorporated  in  1829.  "The  design  of  this  Seminary  is  to  furnish 
means  to  obviate  the  evils  resulting  to  students  from  the  usual  appli- 
cation to  a  course  of  professional  study,  and  the  attendant  depriva- 
tion of  bodily  exercise.  The  plan  that  the  Seminary  has  established 
to  effect  this,  is  to  blend  productive  manual  labor  with  the  course  of 
study.  Three  hours  labor  per  day  is  required  of  each  student  in  the 
young  men's  department,  and  somewhat  less  of  each  in  the  juvenile 

denartment,      Tnfl  farm    r.nnsiRtj*  nf  thn  flat  on  tiiA   left  Kanir   n(  t)   > 


I 


ONKIOA   COUN'Pr. 


\ 


aaa 


Southwest  view  of  Oneida  Institute,  Whitestown. 


pnt^:,rlsTLte  IwoX  J±  t"""'  "^f^lK^-  it  when 

tains  upwards  of  1,000  volumes  Lh  in Th-i-  ''''""'5'  ™''- 
of  newspaper,  from  va^^^of  SeUnteftr'St' 

«  ai  <«>x,uu  per  weeK,  9o4,60  per  year.     Total  ftfis>  fin 

MidTtort  ^ztr^^'^i^^>^r^'  Hu^r'^^^^^^^^  native  of 
l^rthon  ^mifh  K  •'  ^^P^'^^'^h  Piatt,  Ezra  L'flommedieu,  and  Me- 
w^,  «r.   r     '  ^^'ir^  J°'"*  proprietors  of  Sadaquada  Patent      It 

Whif  ^r^"}^^  ^}  ^ ^^4'  a nd  make  a  survey  and  partition  of  it     JudaA 


( 


y 


934 


ONIIDA   OOVNTT. 


House  of  Judge  White,  Whitestown. 

Erevious  to  his  death,  when  he  removed  to  the  dwelling  owned  by 
im  upon  the  hill,  where  he  die  I  April  10th,  1812.  At  the  organiza- 
tion  of  Herkimer  county,  he  wa,<  appointed  a  judge,  and  afterward 
performed  the  duties  of  the  same  o»]?ce  in  Oneida  county. 

For  the  first  two  years  of  Judge  White's  residence  at  Whitesbo- 
rough.the  nearest  mill  was  situated  at  Palatine,  a  distance  of  about  forty 
miles.  This  distance  was  traversed  by  an  Indian  puth  impassable  to 
a  wheel-carriage.  The  want  o'f  animal  food  induced  the  hrst  settlers 
to  salt  down  a  barrel  or  two  of  the  breasts  of  pigeons,  which  they  sepa- 
rated from  the  remainder  of  these  birds,  which  were  here  caught  in  great 
numbers.  In  the  year  1 786,  the  settlement  of  Whitesto  wn  had  so  far  in- 
creased, that  its  inhabitants  formed  a  religious  society,  and  employed 
as  a  minister  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hillyer,  of  Orange,  New  Jersey,  and  or- 

fanized  the  first  Presbyterian  church  formed  in  the  state  west  of  Al- 
any.  In  1788,  when  Whitestown  was  organized,  its  limits  were 
laid  off  by  a  line  crossing  the  Mohawk  at  a  small  log  cabin  which 
stood  upon  the  site  occupied  by  the  railroad  depot  in  Utica,  and  run- 
ning north  and  south  to  the  boundaries  of  the  state,  and  comprehend- 
ing all  the  state  lying  westward — a  territory  which  at  present  is 
inhabited  by  more  than  a  million  of  inhabitants.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  held  in  a  bam  owned  by  Needham  Maynard,  Esq.,  on 
the  road  leading  from  Whitesborough  to  Middle  Settlement. 

For  a  number  of  years  afler  Judge  White's  arrival  quite  a  number 
of  the  Oneida  Indians  resided  in  his  vicinity.  The  following  interest- 
ing incident,  which  took  place  during  this  period,  is  copied  from 
Tracy's  Lectures. 

"  An  old  chief,  named  Han  Ycny,  who,  during  the  war,  had  acted  with  the  royal  party, 
and  now  resided  at  Ori»kany  in  a  log  wigwam  which  stood  on  this  side  of  the  creek,  just 
back  of  the  house,  until  recently,  occupied  by  Mr.  Charles  Green,  one  day  called  nt  Judge 
White's  with  his  wife  and  a  mulatto  woman  who  belonged  to  him,  and  who  acted  as  tus 
interpreter.  After  conversing  with  him  a  little  while,  the  Indian  asked  him— Are  you  my 
friend?  Yea,  said  he.  Well,  then,  said  the  Indian,  do  you  believe  I  arn  your  friend? 
Yes,  Han  Yerry,  replied  he ;  I  believe  you  are.  The  Indian  then  rejoined— We«,  if  you 
are  my  friend,  and  you  beUeve  I  am  your  niend,  i  will  icil  you  wnat  Irt^riX,  arm  t>,en  I 
■haU  know  whether  you  speak  true  words.    And  what  is  it  that  vou  want  ?  said  Mr.  White. 


ONIIDA   COUNTY. 


V 


flSft 


The  Indi«n  then  pointed  to  t  little  grandchild,  the  daughter  of  one  of  hk  lom,  then  be. 
tween  two  and  three  yean  old,  and  aaid,— My  iquaw  wanta  to  take  thia  pappooae  home 
with  ua  to  atay  one  niRht,  and  bring  her  home  to-morrow :  if  you  are  my  friend,  you  will 
now  ahow  me.  The  t'eulinga  of  the  grandfather  at  once  uproae  in  hia  boaom,  and  th« 
child'a  mother  atarted  with  horror  and  alarm  at  the  thought  of  intruating  her  darling  prat, 
tier  with  the  rude  tenants  of  the  foreat.  The  question  was  full  of  interest.  On  the  one 
hand,  the  necessitv  o»  placing  unlimited  confidence  in  the  aavage,  and  intruating  the  wel- 
fare and  the  life  of  hia  grandchild  with  him;  on  the  other,  the  certain  enmity  of  a  man  of 
infliivijce  and  conaequence  in  hia  nation,  and  one  who  had  been  the  open  enemy  of  hia 
countrymen  in  their  recent  atruggle.  But  he  made  the  decision  with  a  aagacity  that 
ahowed  that  he  properly  estimated  the  character  of  the  person  he  was  dealing  with.  Ha 
believed  that  by  placing  implicit  confidence  in  him,  he  should  command  the  aense  of  honor 
which  seems  peculiar  to  the  uiicontaminated  Indian.  He  told  him  to  talie  the  child  j  and 
aa  the  mother,  scarcely  auffering  it  to  be  parted  from  her,  relinquished  it  into  the  handa  of 
the  old  man's  wife,  he  soothed  her  fears  with  his  aaaurances  of  confidence  >n  their  promises. 
That  night,  however,  was  a  long  one ;  and  during  the  whole  of  the  next  morning  many  and 
often  were  ihe  anxioua  glances  caat  up  the  pathway  leading  from  Oriakany,  if  possible  to 
discover  the  Indiana  and  their  little  charge,  upon  their  return  to  its  home.  But  no  Indiana 
came  in  sight.  It  at  length  became  high  noon :  all  a  mother's  fean  were  aroused :  she 
could  scarcely  be  restrained  from  rushing  in  punuit  of  her  loved  one.  But  her  father  re- 
presented to  her  the  groas  indignity  which  a  suspicion  of  their  intentions  would  arouae  in 
the  breast  of  the  chief;  and  half  frantic  though  she  was,  she  was  reatraified.  The  after, 
noon  slowly  wore  away,  and  atill  nothing  was  aeen  of  her  child.  The  sun  had  nearly 
reoched  the  horiion,  and  the  mother's  heart  had  swollen  beyond  further  endurance,  when 
the  forms  of  the  friendly  chief  and  hie  wife,  bearing  upon  her  shoulders  their  little  visiter, 
greeted  its  mother's  vision.  The  dresa  which  the  child  had  worn  from  home  had  been  re- 
moved, and  in  its  place  its  Indian  friends  had  aubsUtuted  a  complete  suit  of  Indian  gar. 
ments,  so  aa  completely  to  metamorphose  it  into  a  little  squaw.  The  aequel  of  thia  adven- 
ture waa  the  eetabUshment  of  a  most  ardent  attachment  and  regard  on  the  part  of  the  In. 
dian  and  his  friends  for  the  white  settlers.  The  child,  now  Mrs,  Eells  of  Missouri,  the  / 
widow  of  the  late  Nathaniel  Eells  of  Whitesboro,  still  remembers  some  incidents  occurring 
on  the  night  of  her  stay  in  the  wigwam,  and  the  kindneaa  of  her  Indian  hoatesa." 

Oriskany  village  is  about  3  miles  NE.  from  Whitepborough,  at  the 
confluence  of  Oriskany  creek  with  the  Mohawk :  it  has  about  110 
dwellings,  a  number  of  mills,  and  2  woollen  factories,  viz.  the  Oris- 
kany, first  incorporated  in  1804,  and  the  Dexter.  The  Erie  canal 
and  the  railroad  between  Utica  and  Syracuse  pass  through  this  vil- 
lage. The  battle  of  Oriskany,  in  which  Gen.  Herkimer  received  a 
mortal  wound,  was  fought  about  two  miles  m  a  western  direction 
from  the  village. 

On  the  advance  of  the  British  forces  under  I^ieut.  Col.  St.  Leger 
to  the  siege  of  Fort  Schuyler,  (Stanwix,)  at  Rome,  General  Herkimer 
summoned  the  militia  of  Tryon  county  to  the  field  to  march  to  the 
succor  of  the  garrison.  On  the  5th  of  Aug.,  1777,  he  arrived  near 
Oriskany  with  a  body  of  upwards  of  800  men,  all  eager  to  meet  the 
enemy.  On  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  August,  Gen.  Herkimer  de- 
termined to  halt  till  he  had  received  reinforcemepts,  or  at  least  until 
the  signal  of  a  sortie  should  be  received  from  the  fort.  His  officers, 
however,  were  eager  to  press  forward ;  high  words  ensued :  during 
which  his  two  colonels  apd  other  officers  denounced  their  commander 
to  his  face  as  a  tory  and  a  coward.  "  The  brave  old  man  calmly 
replied  that  he  considered  himself  placed  over  them  as  a  father,  and 
that  it  was  not  his  wish  to  lead  them  into  any  difficulty  from  which 
he  could  not  extricate  them.    Burnipg  as  they  pow  seemed  to  meet 

the  fiTlftmv.  hp  in\i\  thfm  rnnn/llv  that    tUa^r  nr/Mil/l  »„,.  ~*  U:«  £ *  __ 

^,  . T-~"j    .■:•—»    ••j'^j     r'^-'wiU  luix  at  iiis  lliSl  ap- 

pearance.    But  his  remonstraucep  were  uoavailmg.    Their  clamor 


/ 


I- 


236 


ONEIDA   COUNTY. 


incrpatied*  and  their  reproaches  were  repeated,  until,  stung  by  impu- 
taticms  of  cowardice  and  a  want  of  fidelity  to  the  cause,  and  some- 
what irritated  withal,  the  general  immediately  gave  the  order 

•  march  on  I'    The  words  were  no  sooner  heard  than  the  troops  gave 
a  shout,  and  moved,  or  rather  rushed  forward."    Col.  St.  Leger 
having  heard  of  the  advance  of  Gen.  Herkimer,  determined  to  attack 
him  in  an  ambuscade.    The  spot  chosen  favored  the  design.    There 
was  a  deep  ravine  crossing  the  path  which  Herkimer  was  traversing, 
"  sweeping  towards  the  east  in  a  semi-circular  form,  and  bearing  a 
northern  and  southern  direction.    The  bottom  of  this  ravine  was 
marshy,  and  the  road  crossed  it  by  means  of  a  cause'vay.    The 
ground,  thus  partly  enclosed  by  the  ravine,  was  elevated  and  level. 
The  ambuscade  was  laid  upon  the  high  ground  west  of  the  ravine." 
The  British  troops,  with  a  largebody  of  Indians  under  Brant,  disposed 
themselves  in  a  circle,  leaving  only  a  narrow  segment  open  for  the 
admission  of  Herkimer's  troops.     Unconscious  of  the  presence  of  the 
enemy.  Gen.  Herkimer  with  his  whole  force,  with  the  exception  of 
the  rear-guard,  found  themselves  encompassed  at  the  onset — the 
foe  closing  up  the  gap  on  their  first  fire.    Those  on  the  outside  fled 
as  their  commander  had  predicted ;  those  within  the  circle  were 
thrown  into  disorder  by  the  sudden  and  murderous  fire  now  poured 
in  upon  them  on  all  sides.    Gen.  Herkimer  fell  wounded  in  the  early 
part  of  the  action,  and  was  placed  on  his  saddle  against  the  trunk  of 
a  tree  for  his  support,  and  thus  continued  to  order  the  battle.     The 
action  having  lasted  more  than  half  an  hour,  in  great  disorder,  Her- 
kimer's men  formed  themselves  into  circles  to  repel  the  attacks  of  the 
enemy,  who  were  now  closing  in  upon  them  from  all  sides.     From 
this  moment  their  resistance  was  more  effective.     The  firing  in  a 
great  measure  ceased ;  and  the  conflict  was  carried  ou  with  knives, 
bayonets,  and  the  butt-ends  of  muskets.    A  heavy  shower  of  rain 
now  arrested  the  work  of  death ;  the  storm  raged  for  an  hour,  and 
the  enemy  retired  amoiu^  the  trees,  at  a  respectful  distance,  having 
suflTered  severely,  notwithstanding  the  advantages  in  their  favor. 
During  this  suspension  of  the  conflict.  Gen.  Herkimer's  men,  by  his 
direction,  formed  themselves  into  a  circle  and  awaited  the  movements 
of  the  enemy.     In  the  early  part  of  the  battl?,  wh'inever  a  gun  was 
fired  by  a  militiaman  from  behind  a  tree,  an  Indian  rushed  up  and 
tomahawked  him  before  he  could  reload.    To  counteract  this,  two 
men  were  stationed  behind  a  single  tree,  one  only  to  fire  at  a  time — 
the  other  to  reserve  his  fire  till  the  Indian  ran  up  as  before     The  fight 
was  soon  renewed,  but  by  this  new  arrangement  the  Indians  suffered 
so  severely  that  they  beffan  to  give  way.    A  reinforcement  of  the 
enemy  now  came  up,  called  Johnson's  Greens.     These  men  were 
mostly  royalist,  who  having  fled  from  Tryon  county,  now  returned 
in  arms  against  their  former  neighbors.    Many  of  the  militia  and  the 
Greens  knew  each  other,  and  as  soon  as  they  advanced  near  enough 
for  recognition,  mutual  feelings  of  hate  and  revenge  raged  in  their 

bosoms.       Thf>    militin    firpH    nnnn    thorn    aa   tVia-tr  nAtm-^^^J    „«J  *U„„ 
„j >,.,„,,     ,,.,    •■■.!•  j    tsuTtriit^cu,   atlU    III— II 

sprmgmg  like  tigers  from  their  cavers,  attacked  them  with  their  Hy- 


ONBIDA   COUNTY. 


237 


onets  and  butts  of  their  muskets;  or  both  parties  in  closer  contact 
thrott  ed  each  other  and  drew  their  knives— stabbing,  and  sometimes 
literally  dying  in  each  other's  embrace.'* 

This  murderous  conflict  did  not  continue  long :  the  Indians  seeing 
with  what  resolution  the  militia  continued  the  fight,  and  find:  ag  their 
own  numbers  greatly  diminished,  now  raised  the  retreating  cry  of 
I*  Oonahr  and  fled  in  every  direction  under  the  shouts  of  the  surviv- 
mg  militia,  and  a  shower  of  bullets.    A  firing  was  heard  in  the  dis- 
tance from  the  fort :  the  Greens  and  Rangers  now  deemed  that  their 
presence  was  ntecessary  elsewhere,  and  retreated  precipitately,  leav- 
ing the  victorious  militia  of  Tryon  county  masters  of  the  field.— 
"  Thus  ended,"  (says  Col.  Stone  in  his  Life  of  Brant,)  "one  of  the 
se  /erest,  and,  for  the  numbers  engaged,  one  of  the  moet  bloody  bat- 
tles of  the  revolutionary  war."    The  loss  of  the  militia,  according  to 
the  American  account,  was  two  hundred  killed,  exclusive  of  wounded 
and  prisoners.    The  British  claimed  that  four  hundred  of  the  Ameri- 
cans  were  killed  and  two  hundred  taken  prisoners.    "  The  loss  of 
the  enemy  was  equally  if  not  more  severe,  than  that  of  the  Ameri- 
cans. '    Gen.  Herkimer,  though  wounded  in  the  onset,  bore  himself 
during  the  six  hours  of  conflict,  under  the  most  trying  circumstances, 
with  a  degree  of  fortitude  and  composure  worthy  of  admiration. 
"At  one  time  during  the  battle,  while  sitting  upon  his  saddle,  raised 
upon  a  little  hillock,  being  advised  to  select  a  less  exposed  situation, 
he  replied— ♦  I  will  face  the  enemy.'    Thus  surrounded  by  a  few  men, 
he  continued  to  issue  his  orders  with  firmnesfe.    In  this  situation,  and 
in  the  heat  of  the  onslaught,  he  deliberately  took  his  tinder  box  from 
his  pocket,  lit  his  pipe,  and  smoked  with  great  composure."    After 
the  battle  was  over,  he  was  removed  from  the  field  on  a  litter,  and 
was  conveyed  to  his  house,  below  the  Little  Falls  on  the  Mohawk. 

iir'^-^*'  ^*^''°^'"g  inscriptions  are  copied  from  monuments  in  the 
Whitesborough  grave-yard. 

n,-*,?*'®  ''®*P  ^^  '"°""'  remains  oi  Hugh  White,  who  was  bom  5th  February,  1733  at 
Middletown,  Connecticut,  and  died  16th  April,  1818.  In  the  year  1784,  he  removed  to 
Sedaghquate,  now  Whitesborough :  where  he  was  the  first  white  inhabitant  in  the  state  of 
JVew  York  west  of  the  German  settlers  on  the  Mohawk.  He  was  distinguished  for  energy 
"?M      "S*"*!  "^*®"''  ""'*  may  justly  be  regarded  as  a  PafriarcA  who  led  the  children 

of  New  England  mto  the  wilderness.  As  a  magistrate,  a  citizen,  and  a  n.an,  his  character 
tor  truth  and  mtegrity  was  proverbial.  This  humble  monument  is  reared  and  inscribed  by 
the  anectionate  partner  of  his  joys  and  his  sorrows,  May  15,  1826." 


•  r  «?.  '"«™°'7  of  the  Rev.  Bethuel  Dodd,  first  pastor  of  the  United  Presbyterian  So. 
?"'/,ono '"',**^*'"  '"''  '^'*'"-  ^°™  1''^'''  •*•«•*  1804 ;  and  of  Sarah  his  wife,  bom  1768. 
died  1828.  In  the  year  1794,  they  emigrated  from  Orange,  New  Jereey,  to  this  viUage. 
Mr.  Dodd  assisted  m  forming  the  first  Presbyteaan  church  west  of  Albany,  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  a  short  but  useful  career  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  branch  of  his  Master*! 
kuigdom." 


( 


238 


ONKIDA   COUNTY. 


Distant  view  of  Hamilton  College,  Kirkland, 

Clinton,  the  principal  settlement  in  the  town  of  Kirkland,  is  9  miles 
from  Utica,  on  the  Chenango  canal.     The  village  consists  of  about  60 
dwellings,  1  Congregational,  1   Baptist,  and  1  Universalist  church,  2 
academies,  and  2  seminaries  for  lemales.     The  annexed  engraving 
shows  the  appearance  of  the  Hamilton  college  buildings  as  seen  from 
the  canal  in  Clinton  village,  about  one  mile  and  a  half  distant,  beauti- 
fully situated  on  a  commanding  eminence  westward  of  the  Oriskany 
valley,  overlooking  the  village,  having  a  delightful  distant  prospect 
The  college  buildings  consist  of  three  stone  buildings  four  stories  high 
for  study,  lodging-rooms,  a  chapel,  President's  dwelling-house,  board 
ing  and  servants'  house,  and  41  acres  of  land.     This  institution  was  es 
tablished  in  1812.     The  original  cost  of  the  college  grounds  and  build- 
ings was  about  $80,000.     "  The  college  in  1834  raised  by  subscription 
the  sum  of  $50,000  ;  forming  a  fund  for  the  payment  of  the  salaries 
of  the  officers.     Wm.  H.  Maynard,  who  died  in  Sept.  1832,  bequeath- 
ed to  it  $20,000,  to  endow  a  professorship  of  law  ;  and  S.  N.  Dexter, 
Esq.,  of  Whitestown,  in  1836,  gave  $15,000  for  endowing  a  professor- 
ship." 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland,  from  whom  this  town  derives  its  name,  was  the  son  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Kirkiand,  of  Norwich,  Connecticut  This  devoted  missionary  was  for  a  time  a 
member  of  Mr.  Wheelock's  school,  and  afterward  finished  his  education  at  the  college  in 
New  Jersey,  where  he  graduated  in  1765.  The  next  year,  (1766,)  he  commenced  his 
mission  among  the  Oneidas,  laboring  and  living  with  them  and  endearing  himself  to  them 
by  his  attention  and  efforts  to  do  them  good.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  r«> /olutiouary 
war,  the  Six  Nations,  with  the  exception  of  the  Oneidas,  who  were  mostly  und^r  the  in- 
fluence of  Mr.  Kirkland,  joined  the  British  cause.  The  intestine  war  which  now  took 
place  forced  Mr.  Kirkland  to  remove  his  family  from  thi '  region,  but  he  himself  continued 
his  labors  among  the  Oneidaa  as  opportunities  offered,  und  by  his  influence  i  firm  friend- 
ship was  maintained  between  them  und  the  Americans.  During  a  portion  of  the  war  he 
officiated  as  chaplain  to  the  American  forces  in  the  vicinity ;  he  also  accompanied  the  ex- 
pedition of  Gen.  Sullivan,  in  1779,  through  t'.a  western  part  of  the  state. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  the  state  of  New  York,  in  con- 
sideration of  his  valuable  services  during  the  revolution,  granted  to 
him  the  lands  lyings  in  the  town  <rf  Kirkland,  known  as  Kirkland^s 
patent,  upon  a  portion  of  which,  Hamilton  College  stands.     To  these 


o  ;eioa  county. 


239 


village  of  Clinton,  where  ne  continued  till  his  death,  March  28th, 
1808,  in  the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  The  labors  of  Mr.  Kirk- 
land  among  the  Oneidas,  were  in  many  instances  attended  with  hap- 
py consequences ;  a  large  portion  of  the  nation  ultimately  professed 
to  believe  in  the  Christian  religion,  and  many  of  them  appeared  de- 
voted Christians,  among  whom  was  the  venerable  chief  Skenandua. 
About  the  year  1791,  Mr.  Kirkland  conceived  the  project  of  estab- 
lishing a  seminary  which  should  be  accessible  to  the  Indian  youth 
as  well  as  the  whites.  Through  his  exertions  a  charter  of  incorpo- 
ration was  obtained  for  the  institution  in  1793,  under  the  name  of 
"  Hamilton  Oneida  Academy."  In  1794  a  building  was  erected, 
which  for  many  years  afterward  continued  to  be  known  as  Oneida 
Hall,  till  the  seminary  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  a  college,  with  the 
style  of  Hamilton  college.  Mr.  Kirkland  was  a  generous  benefactor 
of  this  institution,  and  expended  much  of  his  time  and  means  in  pro- 
moting its  interests. 

The  following  account  of  the  death  of  Skenandoa,  the  Oneida 
chief,  and  the  "  white  man's  friend,"  was  published  in  the  Utica  Pa- 
triot, March  19th,  1816.    In  a  few  particulars  it  is  abridged. 

"  Died  at  his  residence,  near  Oneida  Castle,  on  Monday,  11th  inst.,  Skenandoa,  the  cel> 
ebrated  Oneida  chief,  aged  110  years  :  well  known  in  the  wars  which  occurred  while  we 
were  British  colonies,  and  in  the  contest  which  issued  in  our  independence,  as  the  undevi. 
ating  friend  of  the  people  of  the  United  States.  He  was  very  savage  and  addicted  to 
drunkenness*  in  his  youth,  but  by'his  own  reflections  and  the  benevolent  instruction  of  the 
late  Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland,  missionary  to  his  tribe,  he  lived  a  reformed  man  for  more  than 
sixty  years,  and  died  in  Christian  hope.  From  attachment  to  Mr.  Kirkland  he  had  always 
expressed  a  strong  desire  to  be  buried  near  his  minister  and  father,  that  he  might  (to  uae 
his  own  expression,)  *  Go  up  with  him  at  the  great  reeurrection.'  At  the  approach  of  death, 
after  listening  to  the  prayers  which  were  read  at  his  bed^idj  by  his  great-granddaughter, 
he  again  repeated  the  request.  Accordingly,  the  family  of  Mr.  Kirkland  having  eceived 
information  b/a  runner  that  Skenandoa  was  dead,  in  compliance  with  a  previous  promise, 
sent  assistance  to  the  Indians  that  the  corpse  might  be  carried  to  the  village  of  Clinton  for 
burial.  Divine  service  was  attended  at  the  meeting.house  in  Clinton  on  Wednesday  at  S 
o'clock,  P.  M.  An  address  was  made  to  the  Indians  by  tht  Rev.  Dr.  Bacl.us,  President  of 
Hamilton  college,  which  was  interpreted  by  Judge  Deane,  of  Westmoreland.  Prayer  was 
then  offered  and  appropriate  psalms  sung.  After  service,  the  concourse  which  had  assem- 
bled from  respect  to  ihe  deceased  chief,  or  from  the  singularity  of  the  occasion,  moved  to 
the  gi        in  the  foUowit-g  order : — 

Students  of  Hamilton  College, 

CORPSE, 

Indians, 

Mrs.  Kirkland  and  family. 

Judge  Deane, — Rev.  Dr.  Norton — Rev.  Mr.  Ayre, 

Officers  of  Hamilton  College, 

Citizent. 

"After  interment,  the  only  surviving  son  of  the  deceased,  self-moved,  returned  thanks, 
through  Tudge  Deane  as  interpreter,  to  the  people  for  the  respect  shown  to  his  father  ea 
the  occasi^ffi,  and  to  Mrs.  Kirkland  and  family  hr  their  kind  and  friendly  atten^on. 

"  Skenandoft's  person  waa  tall,  well  made,  and  robust.    His  countenance  waa  inteV 


•  In  the  year  17S6  Skenandoa  waa  present  at  a  treaty  made  in  Albany.  At  ■n;ht  be 
was  excessively  drunk,  and  in  the  morning  found  himself  in  the  street,  stripped  of  aN  hie 
omamp.ntH  and  every  article  of  ciothlnS:  His  pride  revolted  at  his  s<;If=^ds£r£d£ticn.  »»>.<  fa^ 
reaolved  that  he  would  never  again  deliver  himself  over  to  the  power  of  t$r«ng  water. 


i 


ONEIDA   COUNTY. 


Tn^USf  ''•'^  *•'  *5  '?'"^^"  ^'^^  "^  •»  ^'«'«"  "•'•ef-    In  »>»  youth  he  wu  a  bmve  ud 

AmenoM  tnbes ;  he  possessed  a  vigorous  mind,  and  waa  alike  aagacioua,  activefand  pene^ 
janng.  As  an  enemy,  he  was  terrible.  As  a  inend  and  allyThe  wa.  mUd  wd  MnUrin 
c^ter:  "^t  f?*f'J,"',hi-  «n««««ments.  His  vigilancelce  ^".emdX  .^" 
fn^niV^  ^  ""j'u"'^  J?"  i"'"  "««  ^ment  at  German  Flats.  In  the  revolutionar/Whii 
influence  mduced  the  One.das  to  tak*  up  arms  in  favor  of  th-,  Americans.  AmZZ  In! 
diana  he  wae  disttnguwhed  by  the  appellaUon  of  the  •  white  man's  friend.'  ^ 

Although  he  could  speak  but  UtUe  English,  and  in  his  extreme  old  ace  was  blind  vet 
^S^"  *•"  '°"^,^S  In  conversation  he  was  highly  decorous,°eviTi,J"  at  he  had 
ETbStrdayT'*"''  "  "°"'"^'  ""•'  ^^  •ningling;ithgoo^companyiJ 

J^^.^J^V^  '''"*  "*"  J**  u"  ^^  "'12"  ^'"o  ■'"*'«' »«»  *>"  expressed  hinwelf  by  an  in. 
SS^^vlrr  T**  heralook.  The  winds  of  an  hundredwinterB  have  wh'stled 
through  my  branches;  I  am  dead  at  the  top.  The  generation  to  which  I  belonged  have 
lun  away  and  left  me:  why  I  live,  the  Great  Good%irit  only  knowT  Pray  1^^  Jea^ 
that  I  may  have  patience  to  wait  for  my  appointed  time  to  die.'  ^      ^ 

Honored  Chief!  His  prayer  was  answered ;  he  was  cheerful  and  resiinied  to  the  I..L 
For  severa  years  he  kept  his  dress  for  the  grave  prepared.    Once  and  ZmTand  J.fn  ht 

n'.:;;ow"hSr"*°i!*'\'r«^"f  Ai*'* ''» ^-^  "W  be\irchS,rdCten'tEe 

WkTri^Zir.^  \  h"'"?*^  ^'''*''"'"  '''"*=•'«"•  WhUe  the  ambitious  but  vuSar  LaJ 
Sfn?^  '^'  ^K    '^."^PT?  '»°n»'nent»  and  to  riches  in  the  temple  of  ear  *ly  fli^V^ 

coStrtheilLT'"'''''"'^''  '^"^  "°'"'^^'  '"^"^  with  his  loins' girded,T«l« 

The  following  inscriptions  are  copied  from  monuments  in  the 
Hamilton  College  grave-yard : 

"Skenandoa.  This  monument  is  erected  bv  the  Nohthkum  Mi«a,ni».ir  a~„_-.„  • 
testimony  of  their  respect  for  the  memory  of  SkeZdf^  XL?  „  .rjeace  a„T^^^^^ 
I^I^T'V^K*".!^"*  t  ^'^'='''  1«^«'  Wise,  eloquent,  and  Ke,  helong  "wSjed 
fte  councils  of  his  tnbe,  whose  confidence  and  affection  he  eminently  eSed  K 
war  which  placed  the  Canadas  under  the  crown  of  Great  Britain  he  was  aSv  enl Jed 
^inst  the  French:  in  that  of  the  revolution,  he  espoused  that  of  1^0010!  f  and ?ver 
V^^ltl^T"^^  '^  ^''f  ♦?  the  United  States.  Under  the  miniati^  of  the  rIv 
J^cln^S^J  ^  Tk^"'*'''^  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  having  exhibited  iCr  powerTn 
oneTunted  ;;■::' "'•'"'' '''™'""  """^'  ""'  ''''  '^'^'^  '"  '^^  "»  ^^  .^vancer/Zof 


".I'-^;^-.,^^«lB»«'"Js.  STD.,  vir  pietate  insignia  omni  doctrina  excultus  Evan^i-Iii 
^t"!!!'umntr."^"'  ''  ^''"'^  ^""^^^  Hamiltonenlis  fuit  Pneses  semper  dufgenSt 
et  alumnis  caiissimus.  In  eo,  summa  in  homines  benevolentia,  misericordia  inc™^ 
fides,  nudaque  ventas :  coryux  supemtes  dolet.  Et  omnes  quibis  vivens  Ulc  /uu  nZ^ 
iZlV  ^•""'"t-Me'norieB  Pr«sidi8  dihetissimi  et  venerandi,  curl  ores  r!  LJ  hS: 
SfTol  «f  ™~«'".™  prosuenint.-Ecclesi«  apud  Bethlem,  Conn,  fX  aSs 
MliccSv""^:^!:!!".""'^  '""  •*"•='""  ^'^  ^"  <'"«'«'ricesimo.  Anno  D^rnHii; 

[Here  lies  buried,  Azel  Backus,  DD.,  a  man  of  remarkable  piaty  and  learninir  a  zealou. 
minuter  of  the  gospel,  a  distinguished  Presidert  of  Hamilton  College  jamTn^extraT 
f3o?'^'?rVn'^  ^T^y  ?•*'"«•'  »°  *«  members  of  the  institution  In  him  were 
Z™r*''''5^K'"  ^^P^^t''^^  '"wards  ..is  fellow  men,  uncorruptible  inS  and 
Z  Thr^l^^H*-  ""wifeaurv^vestolamenthisloss:  and  all  who  knew  hSourn 
il  h  J  5"^°™"°"  "^  H'Jp'lton  College  have  erected  this  monument  to  the  memoS^of 
M  ^i«  P  "^  '^f  !'"r  «•"*  President.  lie  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Betiilem,  Co^„ 
Sie^^dslta^]  °°  ^°"'*''^-    "°  ^^P"'''*  '^  ^^  December  aSth.  ad! 


ilt<InLf.'  §.?^f  ^'"^^  "?°"  ^^*'  Norton,  A.M.,  Linguarum  Professoris  in  Collegio  Ham- 
dtoner  « ;  8ui  brevem  vi to  cureum  Literis  deditua  cum  magno  studio  Praceptoris  Perit-W- 

c£ifwt;iS  £:?'^l.r.„1!!L  Jf:^!^J^l^'''^  ^nno.  e.    curator 


ONEIDA    COUNTY. 


241 


The  princiDal  part  of  the  town  of  Steuben,  20  miles  N.  of  Utica. 
was  granted  l)y  the  state  to  Baron  Steuben,  for  his  services  during 
the  revolutionary  war.  He  resided  here  on  his  farm  until  his  death. 
He  was  buried  beneath  an  evergreen  he  had  selected  to  overshadow 
his  grave.  Afterward  a  new  road  was  laid  over  the  spot,  and  his  re- 
mains  were  removed  to  a  neighboring  grove  in  this  town,  situated 
about  7  miles  NW.  of  the  Trenton  Falls. 


Grave  of  Baron  Steuben. 
His  grave  is  protected  by  a  neat  monument  erected  in  1826  by  pri- 
vate subscription,  and  shown  i-.  the  above  engraving.  On  it  is  the 
bnet  inscnption.  Major  Gener  l  Frederick  William  Augustus 
liAKON  DE  Steuben.  Baron  Steuben  resided  in  a  log  house  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  his  burial  place.  He  lived  there  during  the 
summers  and  cultivated  his  farm,  but  in  the  winters  resided  in  New 
Y  ork.     The  following  sketch  is  from  Allen's  Biograpl-cal  Dictionary : 

"  5"^°*=''.""^  ^'^"*'!  ^*'*""'  ^^  Steuben,  a  mpjor-gpneral  in  the  American  amy, 
l!r„f  u— '!"  "™=««'.  who  served  many  years  in  the  armies  of  Frederick  the  Great,  was 
fhL  f  Z  '  '"^,^  ^'^  i',"''^  ^''*  ""I'  "'■  lieutenant-general.  He  arrived  in  New  Hamp- 
shire from  Marseilles  m  November,  1777,  with  strong  recomnieudations  to  contrresP.  He 
^„  M  .  ?u  a'  """^  ""'y  "1"««led  permission  to  render  as  a  volunteer  what  services  he 
wi^h  .K  jf^""/""""  "fmy.  He  was  soon  appointed  to  the  office  of  inspector-general, 
^1  .Jn  A  ™"J'"-g«"««'-  He  established  a  uniform  system  of  manoeuvres,  and  by 
his  Skill  and  persevering  industry  effected,  during  the  continuance  of  the  troops  at  Vall4 
*orge,  a  most  important  improvement  in  all  ranks  of  the  army.  Ke  was  a  volunteer  in 
r^^Ml^A  fu  ^°"'"«"'"'.'"'d  commanded  in  the  trenches  of  Yorktr  (vn  on  itie  day  which 
concluded  the  struggle  with  Great  Britain.  He  died  at  Steuben,  i.ew  York,  November 
t.Litt  "*7.'»* ''"  accomplib.  ;.  -ntieman  and  a  virtuous  t  tizen,  of  extensive  know- 
Lnltn  i7f^l!l"  ^ll^u"!'^-  ,  ^  "'*'"*'''  °f  •>'"  "y"*"™  of  discipline  was  rublished  in  1779, 
rrier-i      '      '"^^    '''^'^  *  '®"*'"  ""  ^^^  *"''J«<=^  "^  »«  established  militia  and  military  ar- 

Th<3  aanexed  inscnption  to  the  memory  of  Baron  Steuben,  aav.ion 
an  eijj^airt  tablet  on  the  wall  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  in  the 
city  ot  New  York. 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Frederick  William  Auoustus  Bahon  Steubfn,  a  Ger- 
man  ,  kn.ght  of  the  order  of  Fidelity ;  aid-de-camp  to  Frederick  the  Great,  king  of 
rmwia ;  major-general  and  inspector-geaeral  in  the  revolutionary  war ;  esteemed;  re- 
!fn  !„i'/"  ^"SP°'?*,l,!'y  '^^f^'jinRton-  ««  gave  military  skill  and  discipline  to  the  oia- 
Jt".h  "'ff'  ^'^S;.'"'?!!^??  '^«.  "decrees  of  heaven,  achieved  the  independence  of  the 
^•M.tira  ..-iBtcs.     i.  no  iii^hiy-poimhou  luaimen  of  ihe  baron  were  graced  by  the  most  noble 

31 


242 


/ 


ONEIDA   COUNTY. 


fselings  of  the  heart  Hia  huid,  open  u  day  for  melting  charity,  oloeed  only  in  the  etTOrig 
grasp  of  death.  Thia  memoriai  is  ineoribed  by  an  American,  who  had  the  honor  to  be  hia 
aid-de-oamp,  the  happinea^  to  be  hia  friend.    Ob.  1795." 


Trerdon  Falls,  at  Trenton. 

The  Trenton  Falls  on  the  West  Canada  creek,  on  the  east  line  of 
the  town  and  county,  are  highly  picturesque  and  sublime.  The  river 
descends  m  a  high,  narrow,  and  rocky  dell,  by  a  succession  of  cata- 
racts, the  most  magnificent  of  which  are  the  High  Falls,  2  miles  NW. 
from  the  yiliage  of  Trenton.  This  cataract  is  one  hundred  and  nine 
feet  m  height,  c,  scending  bv  three  different  sheets,  respectively  thirty- 
seven,  eleveI^  .  -.d  forty-eight  feet  fall,  besides  a  connecting  slope  or 
rapids  between.  The  rocks  that  bind  the  stream  below,  rise  perpen- 
dicularly fron.  100  to  1.30  feet,  capped  by  evergreens  of  spruce,  fir, 
hemlock,  and  subhmely  finish  a  landscape  of  uncommon  beauties. 
The  rocks  are  of  a  dark  i:mestone,  and  contain  large  quantities  of  pet- 
rified murine  shells,  &c.  &c.  These  falls  are  much  visited,  being 
within  two  or  t'iree  hours'  ride  from  the  city  of  Utica,  and  there  is 
here  a  hotel  fo   the  accommodation  of  visiters. 

About  one  fif^h  of  the  town  of  Vernon  belongs  to  the  Oneida  In- 
dians, forming  part  of  their  reservation,  and  comprising  their  principal 
settlements  near  the  Oneida  village  on  the  Oneida  creek.  Oneida 
Castle  ton,  22  miles  SW.  firom  Utica  and  16  from  Rome,  has  about  25 
dwellings,  and  a  church  belonging  to  the  Indians,  who  number  about 
200.  On  the  south  sids  of  the  turnpike  road,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
village,  is  the  yncieut  council  grove  of  the  Six  Nations,  consisting  of 
about  50  large  white  .v  alnui-trees,  still  in  full  vigor.  Vernon,  upon  the 
Skanandoa  creek,  17  miles  SW.  from  Utica,  contains  an  academy,  a 
female  seminary,  and  about  80  dwcUinga..^ 


lllinBKji.iiilll.wiM 


ONONDAGA   COUNTY. 


948 


ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 

Onondaoa  county  was  taken  from  Herkimer  in  1794 ;  bounds 
since  altered  by  the  formation  of  other  counties  from  it.  Greatest 
length  N.  and  S.  36,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  28  miles.  Centrally 
distant  from  New  York  280  miles,  from  Albany  135  miles.  This 
county,  though  not  extensive,  embraces  a  most  important  portion  of 
the  territory  of  this  state.  Here  are  the  salt  springs,  an  inexhaustible 
source  of  immense  wealth ;  beds  of  gypsum  or  plaster,  of  vast  extent, 
hydraulic  lime,  and  common  limestone.  Surface  is  diversified.  The 
northern  portion  of  the  county  is  level ;  the  centre  and  southern  roll- 
ing, and  rising  in  some  places  into  hills.  The  soil  is  generally  good, 
and  in  some  portions  excellent,  and  under  high  cultivation.  Large 
crops  of  wheat  and  Indian  corn  are  annually  raised.  Both  ate  greatly 
aided  by  the  use  of  plaster.  The  principal  lakes  are  Oneida,  Skane- 
ateles,  Onondaga,  and  Otisco.  The  Rome  summit,  or  long  level  of 
the  Erie  canal,  69^  miles  in  length,  has  its  western  extremity  near 
Syracuse.  The  county  forms  part  of  the  military  tract,  and  settle- 
ments were  first  made  here  in  the  spring  of  1788,  while  composing 
part  of  Whitestown,  Oneida  county.  The  county  is  divided  into  18 
towns,  of  which  Lysander,  Manlius,  Marcellus,  Onondaga,  and  Pom- 
pey  were  organized  by  general  sessions  in  1789  : 


Camillus, 
Cicero, 
Clay, 
De  Witt, 
Elbridge, 


Fabius, 
La  Fayette, 
Lysander, 
Manlius, 
Marcellus, 


Onondaga, 

Otisco, 

Pompcy, 

Salina, 

Skaneateles, 


Spafford, 
TuUy, 
Van  Buren. 


The  first  white  settler  in  this  county  was  a  Mr.  Webster,  who  came 
here  in  1786,  and  settled  in  Onondaga  Hollow  among  the  Indians. 
They  gave  him  a  tract  of  a  mile  square.  He  then  opened  a  small 
shop,  married  a  squaw,  and  became  domesticated  among  the  savages. 
In  1788,  he  obtained  permission  of  the  Onondagas  for  Messrs.  Asa 
Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler  to  establish  themselves  at  Onondaga 
Hollow. 

"  It  was  in  this  '  hollow'  that  the  principal  town  and  castle  of  the  Onondcga  Indians, 
in  the  prouder  days  of  that  nation,  stood  ;  and  the  poor  reniains  of  that  once  warlike  and 
haughty  member  of  the  Oquanuschioni,  oir  the  amphyctionic  league  of  the  Five  Nations, 
numbering  a  few  hundred  souls,  are  yet  dragging  out  their  lingering  existence  in  the  same 
valley,  a  short  distance  to  the  south  of  thd  village  I  have  just  mentioned. 

"  The  history  of  the  Onondaga  nation,  to  say  nothing  of  their  own  legends  antecedent  to 
the  discovery  and  settlement  of  the  country  by  the  '  pale  faces,'  is  full  of  intereM.  It  was 
the  central  nation  of  the  great  confederacy,  the  terror  qf  whose  arms  was  almoat  co-ex- 
tensive with  the  northern  aad  eastern  division  of  »  continent,  and  whose  actual  domaa 
at  one  time  extended  from  tue  Sorel,  south  of  t!  great  lakes,  to  the  MiMMsippi  wwt, 
thence  east  to  the  Santee,  and  coastwise  back  to  the  ijudson.  The  great  counc  I  n*w  of 
the  confederacy  was  in  the  special  keeping  of  the  Onondagas,  and  by  them  was  ahrays 
kept  bunnng.     The  territory  proper  of  the  confederacy  extended  from   Albany  to  Lake 

£rie.  and  wu  oftlled  the  Lonjr  Hsuas.     Thr-.   Mnhsurks  tsnt  a-.- --,—  j--     ;  ^ 

Seuecas  the  western."  "  ~~' """    '  "**"  """ 


244 


ONONDAGA    COUNTY. 


Salina,  the  shire  town,  is  situated  on  Onondaga  lake,  a  sheet  of 
water  6  miles  long,  averaging  1  in  width :  the  township  consists  prin- 
cipally of  the  lands  reserved  by  the  stale  for  the  use  of  the  salt 
springs  on  the  borders  of  the  lake. 


Southeastern  view  of  Salina  village. 

The  above  is  a  southeastern  view  of  the  village  of  Salina  and  salt- 
works, as  viewed  from  an  elevation  called  Prospect  Hill,  which  rises 
on  the  eastern  side  of  Syracuse  village.  The  Oswego  canal,  which 
forms  a  junction  with  the  Erie  canal  at  Syracuse,  is  seen  on  the  loft. 
The  lake  is  seen  in  the  distance.  The  central  part  of  Salina  is  one 
and  a  half  miles  north  of  Syracuse.  It  is  probable  that  the  two  vil- 
lages in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  by  the  increase  of  population,  will 
be  blended  into  one.  Salina  village  lies  upon  a  plain  rising  near  the 
centre  of  the  marsh.  It  contains  3  churches,  a  bank,  and  86  salt  man- 
ufactories. In  1839  the  amount  of  salt  inspected  in  this  village  was 
1,283,204  bushels.  The  village  of  Liverpool  is  about  4^  miles  north 
of  Syracuse,  on  the  lake  and  Oswego  canal,  consisting  of  about  60 
dwellings  ;  tl^e  amount  of  salt  inspected  here  in  1839,  was  859,733 
bushels.  Geddes  village  was  incorporated  in  1832  ;  it  is  pleasantly 
situated  2  miles  west  from  Syracuse,  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  The 
amount  of  salt  inspected  here  in  1839,  was  249,245  bushels.  The 
amount  inspected  at  Syracuse,  was  472,558  bushels. 

The  annexed  is  a  western  view  in  the  central  part  of  Syracuse,* 


Syracuse  is  a  remarkable  instaui-e  of  the  rapidity  of  growth  of  some  of  our  western 
village*  The  following,  from  the  pen  of  the  editor  of  Hie  N.  Y  flommercial  Advertiser, 
who  visited  the  place  in  1820,  and  again  in  1810,  is  well  worthy  itl  iierusal  :— 

"  It  was  only  in  tho  nuturan  of  IHaO,  the  year  in  which  the  middle  and  first-construct- 
ed  B«ction  of  the  Erie  canal  was  opened  for  navigation,  that  your  humble  servant  made  tho 
passage  from  Utica  to  this  place,  in  a  fudii  boat,  alone  with  Mr.  Forman,  a  distance  of 
sixty  mil«s.  Tlie  country  at  that  time,  f^ni  Rome  to  Salina,  was  wild.  The  canal  pierced 
th#  wildernoss  of  Rome  only  to  emerge  therefrom  at  this  place.  The  land  almost  the 
entire  distanoo  was  low,  mt  mhy,  and  cold.  The  forests,  most  of  the  distance  evergreen, 
were  deep  and  dank  ;  and  tlie  advancing  settlers  had  eschewed  the  region  as  unfit  for  cul- 
tivation. But  the  clearing  lor  the  canal  let  in  a  stretch  of  daylight,  which  enabled  people 
to  see  more  distinctly.  The  marshes  and  swamps  were  to  a  considerable  extent  drained 
oy  the  c-iuial ;  and  its  DijiiKs,  instead  of  the  shadda  of  a  gluuniy  forest,  now  ioT  the  most 


ONONDAGA   COUNTY. 


34A 


w^Mi 


rrrrn  :_ 

FTnii 

mii; 


-It  MM^B 


^^^^ 


Western  view  in  the  central  part  of  Syracuse. 

Sept.,  1840. 

showing  the  Erie  canal,  the  Syracuse  House,  and  some  other  build- 
ings m  the  vicinity.  This  village,  which  now  has  a  city-like  appear- 
ance, was  incorporated  in  1825,  contains  about  700  houses,  the  county 
buildings,  1  Episcopal,  1  Presbyterian,  1  Methodist,  and  1  Baptist 
church,  a  bank,  and  2  newspaper  establishments.     The  Syracuse 

part  refresh  the  Bight  by  the  prospect  of  a  welUettled  country,  smiling  under  the  hand  of 
well.rewarded  industry. 

inlw  •  ^°"",''on^'^T'"i.°"f  T^^  *^  f"*"  °f  ">«  *'"»'•  That  is,  being  a  member  of  the 
legislature  m  1807,  (I  think  that  was  the  year,  but  have  not  the  journals  by  me,)  he  moved 
the  hrst  resolution  of  inquiry  upon  the  subject  of  opening  a  channel  of  artificial  navigation 
from  the  Hudson  nvcr  to  the  great  lakes.  And  from  that  day  until  the  completion  of  that 
stupendous  work,  in  1825,  his  exertions  were  unremitting  and  powerful  in  the  cause.  Pass. 
mg  as  the  canal  does,  close  by  the  head  of  Onondaga  lake,  within  the  toss  of  a  biscuit  of 
some  01  the  salt  springs,  and  within  two  miles  of  the  principal  and  strongest  fountain,  at 
balina,  Mr.  Jornian  saw  the  immense  advantages  which  the  site  of  this  place  presented  for 
a  town ;  with  the  completion  of  the  middle  section  of  the  canal,  Syracuse  was  begun  At 
the  period  of  my  first  visit,  but  a  few  scattered  and  inditferent  wooden  houses  had  been 
erected,  amid  the  stumps  of  the  recently  felled  trees.  I  lodged  for  a  night  at  a  miserable 
tavern,  thronged  by  a  company  of  salt-boilers  from  Salina,  forming  a  group  of  about  as 
rough-looking  specimens  of  humanity  as  I  had  ever  seen.  Their  wild  visages,  beards  thick 
and  long,  and  matted  hair,  even  now  rise  up  in  dark,  distant,  and  picturesque  perspective 
betore  me.  I  passed  a  restless  night,  disturbed  by  strange  fancies,  as  I  yet  well  remember. 
It  was  in  October,  and  a  flurry  of  snow  during  the  night  had  rendered  the  morning  aspect 
ot  the  country  more  dreary  than  the  evenmg  before.  The  few  houses  I  have  already  de- 
scribed, standing  upon  low  and  almost  marshy  ground,  and  surrounded  by  trees  and  en. 
tangled  thickets,  presented  a  very  uninviting  scene.  •  Mr.  Forman,'  said  I,  'do  you  call 
t/ns  a  village?  It  would  make  an  owl  weep  tojly  over  it ."  •  iV«>«r  mind,'  aaid  he  in  re. 
P"/t   you  will  live  to  see  it  a  city  yet:  * 

"  These  words  were  prophetical.  The  contrast  between  the  appearance  of  the  town  then 
and  , low,  IS  wonderful.  A  city  it  now  is,  in  extent,  and  the  magnitude  and  durability  of 
its  buildings,  albeit  it  may  not  boast  of  a  mayor  and  common  council  to  oppress  the  people 
by  insupportable  assessmente,  and  partake  of  turtle  and  champagne  foi  the  benefit  of  the 
poor.  But  as  I  glanced  upward,  and  around,  upon  splendid  hotels,  and  rows  of  massivo 
buildings  m  all  directions,  and  the  lofty  spires  of  churches  glittering  in  the  sun  end  mi 
versed  the  extended  and  well-built  streots,  thronged  with  people  full  of  life  and  activity— 
the  canal  basins  crowded  with  boats  lading  and  unlading  at  the  large  and  loftv  stone  warn. 
. . — ,„  -::-:.;;=  sccixjca  ::=.c  oiiB  oi  cnchanmient.'' 


ONONDAOA    COUNTT. 


i 


aoadomy  h  t  fine  hrick  edifino  4  storien  high,  with  an  obHoryBtor^ 
spacious  grounds,  &c.  The  Syracuse  House  is  of  brick,  4  stories 
high,  and  is  one  of  the  most  splendid  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the 
state.  Syracuse  is  133  miles  Iroin  Albany,  by  the  canal  171,  278  from 
New  York,  00  from  Rochester,  and  from  UticaGl  miles.  This  town 
embraces  the  principal  salt  springs  and  salt-works  of  the  state,  with 
the  Onondaga  or  salt  lake.  "  These  salt  springs  were  known  to  the 
aborigmal  inhabitants,  who  communicated  their  knowledge  to  the 
white  sett'ers.  One  of  the  latter  about  60  years  since,  with  an  Indi- 
an guidfi  in  a  canoe,  descended  the  Onondnga  creek,  and  by  the  lake 
approached  the  spring  un  mud  creek.  tSalt  water  was  at  that  time 
ootained  by  lowering  to  the  bottom,  four  or  five  feet  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  fresh  water  of  the  lake,  an  iron  vessel ;  which  filling  in- 
stantly with  thn  heavier  fluid,  was  then  drawn  up.  In  this  way,  by 
boiling  the  brine,  a  small  quantity  of  brownish-colored  and  very  im- 
pure salt  was  obtained.  With  the  settlement  of  the  country  the  vi- 
cinity was  explored  and  many  other  sources  of  brine  discovered. 
Wells  were  then  sunk,  generally  to  the  depth  of  18  feet.  There  was 
a  great  diflercnce  in  the  strength  of  water  which  they  afforded,  va- 
rying with  seasons,  and  diminishing  in  draught  nearly  one  third. 
With  the  introduction  of  hydraulic  machinery  for  pumping  in  1822. 
a  more  rapid  influx  of  brine  was  produced,  and  a  new  era  in  the  man- 
ufacture. A  difference  of  opinion  prevails  as  to  the  source  of  the 
brine.  The  general  opinion  is,  that  beds  of  rock  salt  exist  here  as  at 
other  salt  springs.  Borings  have  been  made  at  several  points ;  in 
one  instance  to  the  depth  of  260  feet,  without  finding  fossil  salt.  But 
the  very  important  fact  was  elicited,  that  the  strength  of  the  brine 
increased  with  the  depth  of  the  well.  The  salt  beds  in  Cheshire, 
England,  were  discovered  about  160  years  since,  in  boring  for  coal 
at  about  125  feet  below  the  surface ;  and  since  have  been  penetrated 
to  twice  that  depth.  But  the  salt  mines  of  Wilielska,  near  Cravocia, 
in  Poland,  are  worked  at  the  depth  of  750  feet ;  and  those  at  Epe- 
ries  at  950  feet.  The  failure  therefore  to  discover  salt  beds  hero 
should  not  discourage  further  efforts.  Should  beds  of  rock  salt  be 
discovered  and  rendered  accessible,  this  source  of  wealth  must  be 
greatly  enlarged.  The  salt  beds  near  Norwich,  England,  produce 
more  than  150,000  tons  annually — ^nearly  three  times  as  much  as  the 
annual  products  of  the  Onondaga  springs.  The  salt  at  Salina  is 
manufactured  by  evaporation  by  the  sun,  or  artificially.  By  the 
slower  process  of  the  former,  the  coarse  salt  is  made,  and  the  fine  by 
the  rapid  evaporation  produced  by  fire." 

The  following  cut  is  a  representation  of  a  field  of  salt  vats  near 
Syracuse  for  the  manufacture  of  coarse  salt.  In  the  distance  is  seen 
a  pump  house,  from  which  the  brine  is  conducted  to  eac.'.  of  the  vats 
by  a  succession  of  bored  logs.  The  vats  are  about  16  feet  in  length, 
by  7  in  width,  and  are  arranged  in  continuous  rows  for  a  great  dis- 
tance, as  above  represented.  Between  the  rows  alleys  run  sufficiently 
wide  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  horse  and  cart.  On  each  side  and 
paraiiei  with  the  vats,  there  is  a  line  of  light  roofs  which  can  be 


ha.\ 


ONONDAGA   COUNTY. 


\ 


947 


gh'  T*>d  off  and  on  at  pleasure,  u,  permit  the  rays  of  the  sun  to  act 
upon  the  waters  or  '<>  ivert  the  rain.  As  the  salt  precipitates,  it  as- 
sumes  the  form  of  befuitiful  crystals,  like  the  various  trinkets  fre- 
(juuntly  made  for  the  hhm'  fairs,  &c. ;  the  action  of  shovelling  the 
salt  mto  carts  destroys  f  he  crystals,  when  of  course  the  elegance  of 
form  vanishes.  These  \  uts  with  ttieir  sheds  cover  enough  ground  in 
the  vicinity  to  make  several  moderate  sized  farms,  and  the  beams 
of  the  sun  reflecting  from  their  roofs  cause  them  to  appear  in  the  dis- 
tance not  unlike  the  surface  of  a  lak 

The  fine  salt  requires  more  skill  in  the  manufacture.  For  this  pur- 
pose rough  wooden  structures  are  erected  about  70  feet  in  length, 
and  25  feet  m  breadth.  The  annexed  view  of  the  inside  of  one  of 
these  salt  manufactories  was  taken  at  the  entrance,  and  shows  itnme- 


View  of  afield  of  salt-vats,  Salina. 

diately  in  front  the  commencement  of  the  oven  which  runs  the  remain- 
mg  length  of  the  building.  On  top  of  it  are  the  boilers,  arranged  in  two 
parallel  rows,  generally  numbering  from  15  to  25  boilers  in  each  row. 
which  are  supplied  with  the  brine  by  a  cylindrical  hoHow  log  with 
laucets.  This  log  leads  from  a  reservoir  in  the  rear  of  the  buildinir. 
which  in  Its  turn  is  filled  by  tubular  logs,  connecting  with  the  pump 
house,  which  m  some  cases  is  a  mile  or  more  distant.  There  are  in 
the  whole  many  niiles  of  aqueduct  logs,  which  are  generally  con- 
structed of  pine.  On  entering  one  of  tTiese  works  at  night  the  view 
IS  interesting.  Clouds  of  vapor  are  continually  ascending  from  the 
numerous  boilers,  and  partially  obscuring  the  forms  of  the  attendants. 
Huge  piles  of  salt  of  snowy  whiteness  in  the  bins  each  side  of  the 
building  are  beheld  laying  m  contact  with  the  rouglf,  dingy  walls, 
while  the  fire  from  the  furnace,  shedding  a  partiaflight  over  the 
whole,  renders  it  a  striking  scene.  °       ''  e 

t»,r'^''^'"f  T'  ^°^/^«f'  various  "lodes  of  applying  artificial  heat  in 
the  manufacture  of  salt,  other  than  that  employed  in  the  ordinary 
process  of  boiling  m  kettles.  In  one  arrangement,  tubes  heated  by 
steam  pass  through  a  vat  or  vats  of  considerable  extent,  the  brine 
naving  ucen  previousjy  freed  iroru  its  insoiubie  impurities,  by  being 


1 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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► 

Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  872-4503 


<^- 


^  *^% 


9148 


./ 


ONONDAGA   COUNTf. 


t  ?'»*■ 


Internal  view  of  a  salt  manufactory,  Salina. 

allowed  to  remain  for  some  time  in  the  cistern,  or  by  the  addition  of 
lime.  This  furnishes  salt  in  fine  cubic  crystals  of  great  purity,  es- 
pecially in  those  parts  of  the  vats  which  are  at  some  distance  from 
the  immediate  source  of  heat." 

The  springs  from  which  the  works  are  supplied  are  pierced  through 
the  alluvial  and  terminate  on  gravel.  The  strength  of  the  brine  is 
graduated  on  the  following  standard :  fresh  water  being  placed  at  0°, 
and  water  perfectly  saturated  with  salt  at  100°.  According  to  this, 
the  "  old  spring"  stands  at  50°,  and  the  "  new"  at  70°.  In  each  cubic 
foot  of  water  there  is  about  2^  ounces  of  "  bitterns,"  or  impure  de- 
posit composed  of  lime,  iron,  &c.  Fourteen  pounds  of  salt  are  man- 
ufactured from  a  cubic  foot  of  the  water  from  the  strongest  spring. 
j  The  salt-works  are  quite  a  source  of  revenue  to  the  state,  as  it  re- 
ceives 2  mills  a  bushel  for  pumping  the  water,  and  6  cents  duty  on 
the  salt  made.  The  amount  annually  manufactured  is  three  millions 
of  bushels ;  and  the  number  of  men  employed  in  the  four  villages  of 
Geddes,  Liverpool,  Salina,  and  Syracuse,  about  three  thousand. 

Account  of  a  French  Colony  ettablithed  at  Onondaga,  in  1656,  under  the  avepicea  of 

Le  Sieur  Dupuya.* 

"  The  Jesuit  Dablon  had  established  himself  at  Onondaga  in  the  character  of  a  mission, 
ary.  He  arrived  here  in  the  month  of  September,  1655.  In  March  of  the  following  yeor, 
he  in  company  with  a  numerous  escort  of  savages,  made  the  voyage  to  Quebec  for  the  pur. 
pose  of  persuading  M.  de  Lauson  to  establish  a  French  colony  at  Onondaga.  He  arrived 
there  in  the  beginiing  of  April,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  M.  De  Lauson  to  enter  into 
his  views.  Fifty  nenchmen  were  selected  to  go  and  form  the  proposed  establishment,  and 
the  Sieur  Dupuys,  an  officer  of  the  garrison,  was  appointed  their  commandant.  Father 
Francis  Le  Mercier,  Superior  General  of  the  Catholic  Missions,  was  desirous  of  conducting 
in  person  those  whom  he  had  destined  to  establish  the  first  Iroquois  church,  who  were 
Fathers  Freemen,  Mesnard,  and  Dablon.  Their  departure  was  fixed  for  the  7th  of  May, 
and  although  the  crop  had  been  lighter  than  usual,  they  gave  Dupuys  provisions  sufficient 
to  last  him  a  whole  year,  with  grain  enough  to  enable  him  to  sow  the  land. 

"  The  news  of  this  enterprise  being  spread  all  around,  gave  the  Mohawks  much  concern, 

*  Copied  from  &  MS.  History,  by  the  ReV.  J.  W.  Adann,  of  Syracuse. 


; 


T^ 


i 


ddition  of 
purity,  es- 
ance  from 

d  through 
\e  brine  is 
ced  at  0°, 
ng  to  this, 
sach  cubic 
npure  de- 
are  man- 
t  spring. 
J,  as  it  re- 
s  duty  on 
e  millions 
illages  of 
and. 

utpicta  of 

3f  a  mission- 
lowing  year, 
for  the  pur- 
He  arrived 
to  enter  into 
shment,  and 
int.  Father 
f  conducting 
1,  who  were 
7th  of  May, 
ns  BufiBcient 

ich  concern. 


OHONDAGA   OOUNTV. 


849 


and  rvvmd  their  jealonsjr  towaida  ths  Onondagaa.  A  general  council  of  all  the  triba  vii> 
called  to  deliberate  upon  thie  offiur,  which  leemed  to  them  of  great  impartonce,  and  the 
eoneloaion  was,  that  all  their  reaourcea  muat  be  put  in  requisition  to  oppoae  the  new  eotab. 
liahment.  A  party  of  400  men  was  immediately  raised,  and  orders  were  given  them  eithef 
to  disperse  or  cut  to  pieces  the  company  of  M.  Dupuys.  They  failed,  however,  to  iccom. 
plish  their  olgect,  and  only  revenged  themselves  upon  some  straggling  canoes,  which  wera 
mllaged,  and  a  part  of  diose  who  conducted  them  were  wounded.  After  a  riiort  stay  at 
Three  Rivers  and  at  Montreal,  M.  Dupuys  left  the  latter  place  on  the  8th  of  June,  and  the 
same  day  fell  in  with  a  party  of  Mohawks,  whom  he  pillaged  as  a  reprisal  for  the  outnge 
related  above. 

"  On  the  39th  of  the  same  month,  towards  9  o'clock  in  the  evening,  they  heard  in  the 
camp  the  voice  of  a  man  groaning.  The  commandant  ordered  the  drum  to  be  beat,  and  im. 
mediately  they  perceived  a  B8va(;e  approaching  in  great  distress.  Ho  was  a  Huron,  who 
had  escaped  after  the  expedition  of  the  isle  of  Orleans.  The  akin  of  hia  body  waa  half 
roasted,  and  for  aeventeen  days  he  had  taken  no  nourishment,  except  aome  wild  fruits 
which  he  had  gathered.  The  Onondagas  who  accompanied  the  French,  made  him  a  drink 
which  soon  restored  the  tone  of  his  stomach.  They  then  gave  him  aome  provirions  and 
sent  him  on  to  Quebec. 

"  The  remainder  of  the  voyage  was  prosperous,  except  that  they  suffered  from  a  scarcity 
of  provisions,  which  had  been  very  badly  managed.  They  had  calculated  as  usual  upon  find, 
ing  an  abundance  of  fiah  and  game.  Both  however  failed,  and  the  French,  who  were  unac 
customed  to  fasting  like  the  Indiant.,  would  have  perished  with  hunger,  had  not  the  Onon. 
daga  aachems  sent  to  meet  them  some  canoes  loaded  with  provisions.  They  learnt  from 
these  Indians,  that  a  great  number  of  the  Iroquois  of  all  the  tribes,  were  awaiting  their  ar. 
rival  on  the  shores  of  the  Lake  Ganuentaha.  M.  Dupuys,  therefore,  prepared  himself  to 
make  his  entrance  into  the  lake  as  imposing  as  possible.  Before  arriving  at  the  place 
where  the  savages  were  stationed,  he  put  ashore  5  small  pieces  of  ordnance,  and  had  them 
discharged.  He  then  re-embarked,  and  rowing  in  beautiiiil  order,  entered  the  lake,  whera 
in  less  than  an  hour  he  made  two  discharges  of  all  his  musketry.  He  was  received  by  the 
sachema  and  such  as  were  with  them  awaiting  his  arrival  with  the  greatest  apparent  ow- 
diality  and  respect.  They  were  welcomed  with  harangues,  feasts,  songs,  and  dances,  and 
with  every  demonstration  of  joy  which  the  savages  were  capable  of  giving.  On  the  follow, 
ing  d&y,  which  was  the  13th  of  July,  a  solemn  mass  was  offered  and  the  Te  Deum  aung. 
The  sachems  then  made  presents,  as  they  were  accuatomed  to  do  in  treaties  of  alliance,  and 
on  the  I6th  the  French  all  united  in  celebrating  the  Eucharist.  On  the  day  following  they 
commenced  building  huts,  and  Father  Mercier  went  to  visit  the  village  of  the  Onondagas, 
where  he  was  received  with  great  ceremony.  On  the  34th  a  general  council  was  held,  at 
which  the  Jesuits,  Mercier  and  Chaumont,  explained  the  views  of  the  French  and  solicited 
their  kind  regards  to  their  new  neighbors.  They  also  endeavored  to  enlighten  their  minds 
on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  produced  so  great  an  impression  aa  to  render  it  necessary  to 
enlarge  the  chapel  which  bad  been  built  nearly  a  year  before,  more  than  one  half.  They 
experienced  in  the  month  of  August  excessive  heat,  which  produced  much  sickness ;  but 
by  the  kind  attention  of  the  savages  all  the  disorders  were  eased  in  a  short  time. 

'I  This  last  mark  of  affection  from  these  people  persuaded  the  more  credulous  of  them  to 
believe  that  they  might  rely  upon  them  in  all  cases ;  but  the  more  prudent  of  them  thought 
it  necessary  to  make  use  of  precau'ion  at  least  against  their  inconstancy ;  and  these  wei» 
found  in  the  end  to  have  pursued  the  wisest  course,  for  two  years  had  not  elapsed  before 
they  were  compelled  by  the  perfidy  of  the  savages  to  abandon  their  settlement  and  return 
to  Montreal.  A  conspiracy  which  extended  itself  through  the  Iroquois  cantons  was  formed 
sgainst  them,  and  unequivocal  indications  of  hostility  were  soon  given.  Three  Frenchmen 
were  scalped  near  Montreal  by  the  confederates,  and  other  hodtilities  committed,  which  left 
no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  French  of  their  intention  to  destroy  the  new  colony.  In  the 
month  of  Feb.,  1658,  numerous  bands  of  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  and  Onandac^  had  taken 
the  field  equipped  for  war.  Dupuys  was  informed  of  all  that  transpired  by  a  converted  In. 
dian.  He  found  himself  greatly  embarrassed,  and  indeed  saw  no  means  of  extricating 
hinuelf  from  the  difficulty  without  much  trouble  and  at  great  hazard.  To  fortify  himself 
and  sustain  a  siege  would  be  only  to  put  off  his  ruin  and  not  prevent  it,  for  he  had  no  sue 
cor  to  hope  for  from  Quebec,  or  it  would  not  be  able  to  reach  him  in  time.  It  would  be. 
come  necessary  sooner  or  later  to  yield  or  die  fighting,  or  at  length  to  perish  of  hunger  and 
misery. 

"  To  effect  his  escape  M.  Dupuys  required  first  to  construct  some  canoes,  for  they  had 
not  taken  the  precaution  to  reserve  any.  But  to  work  at  them  publicly  would  be  to  an. 
Bounce  bis  retreat,  and  thereby  render  it  impossible.  Something  must  be  resQlvMi  nn  im- 
BMHiiMeiy,  and  the  commandant  adopted  the  following  plan.  ~He  immediately  sent  •« 

32 


\ 


/ 


;    1 


360 


ONONDAGA   COUNTY. 


azpreis  to  M.  D'Aillebout  to  inform  him  of  «he  conapiraey.  He  then  gtve  orders  for  the 
eonatruction  of  aome  sm&ll  light  batteaux ;  and  to  prevent  the  Iroquois  from  getting  wind  of 
It,  he  made  his  people  work  in  the  garret  of  the  Jesuit's  house,  which  was  larger  and  more 
wtirsd  than  the  others. 

"  This  done,  he  warned  all  his  people  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  depart  on  th« 
day  which  he  named  to  them,  and  he  supplied  each  one  with  provisions  sufficient  for  the 
▼oyWi  end  charged  them  to  do  nothing  in  the  mean  time  to  excite  the  suspicions  of  the 
Iroquois.  It  only  remained  now  to  concert  measures  for  embarking  so  secretly  that  the 
savages  should  have  no  knowledge  of  their  retreat  until  they  should  have  advanced  so  far 
as  not  to  fear  pursuit,  and  this  they  accomplished  by  a  stratagem  singular  enough. 

"A  certain  young  Frenchman  who  had  acquired  great  influence  with  the  Indians,  had 
been  adopted  into  one  of  their  most  respectable)  families.  According  to  the  cuntom  of  the 
Indians,  whoever  was  adopted  by  them  became  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  that  belonged 
^ij  *u-^*  members  of  the  family.  This  young  man  went  one  day  to  his  adopted  father,  and 
told  him  that  he  had  on  the  night  before  dreamed  of  one  of  those  feasts  where  the  guests 
eat  every  th'ng  that  is  served,  and  thot  he  desired  to  have  one  of  the  kind  made  for  the  viL 
lege ;  and  he  added,  that  it  was  deeply  impressed  upon  his  mind  he  should  die  if  a  single 
thing  were  wanang  to  render  the  feast  just  such  a  one  as  he  described.  The  Indian  gravely 
rephed  that  he  should  be  exceedingly  sorry  to  have  him  die,  and  would  therefore  order  the 
repast  himself  and  take  care  to  make  the  invitations,  and  he  assured  him  that  nothing  should 
be  wanting  to  render  the  entertainment  every  way  such  an  one  as  he  wished.  The  young 
man  having  obtained  these  assurances,  appointed  for  his  feast  the  19th  of  March,  which 
was  the  day  fixed  upon  for  the  departuio  of  the  French.  All  the  provisions  which  the 
families  through  the  village  could  spare  were  contributed  for  the  feast,  and  all  the  Indians 
were  invited  to  attend. 

*!  The  entertainment  began  in  the  evening,  and  to  give  the  French  an  opportunity  to  put 
theu-  boats  into  the  woter  and  to  load  them  for  the  voyage  without  being  observed,  the 
drums  and  tnimpets  ceased  not  to  sound  around  the  scene  of  festivity. 

"  The  boats  having  now  been  launched  and  every  thing  put  in  readiness  for  a  departure 
ttie  young  man,  at  the  signal  agreed  upon,  went  to  his  adopted  fadier  and  said  to  him  that 
he  pined  Ae  guests,  who  had  for  the  most  part  asked  quarter,  that  they  might  cease  eatmg, 
ftnd  give  themselves  to  repose,  and  adding,  that  he  meant  to  procure  for  every  one  a  gowl 
night's  sleep.  He  began  playing  on  the  guitar,  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  every 
Indion  was  laid  soundly  to  sleep.  The  young  Frenchman  immediately  sallied  forth  to  join 
lua  companions,  who  were  ready  at  the  instant  to  push  fiom  the  shore. 

"  '^^l  "t*'  morning  a  number  of  the  Indians  went,  according  to  their  custom  on  awaking 
to  see  the  French,  and  found  all  the  doors  of  their  houses  shut  and  locked.  This  s»ran«e 
circumstance,  joined  to  the  profound  silence  which  everywhere  reigned  through  the  irench 
setUement,  surprised  them.  They  imagined  at  first  that  the  French  were  saying  moss  or 
that  they  were  in  secret  council ;  but  after  having  in  vain  waited  for  many  hours  to  have 
the  mystery  solved,  they  went  and  knocked  at  some  of  the  doore.  The  dogs  who  had  been 
left  m  the  houses  repUed  to  them  by  barking.  They  perceived  some  fowls  also  through 
the  pahngs,  but  no  person  could  be  seen  or  heard.  At  length,  having  waited  untU  eveni^, 
they  forced  open  the  doors,  and  to  their  utter  astonishment  found  every  house  empty. 

"  The  savages  could  not  explain  this  movement.  They  could  not  comprehend  how  the 
nench,  whom  they  knew  to  have  no  canoes,  had  got  away,  and  there  was  no  idle  fancy 
that  did  not  enter  mto  their  heads  rather  than  imagine  in  what  manner  the  thmg  had  hap. 
pen^.  This  vna  the  first  time  in  which  boate  had  been  used  for  such  voyages.  But  had 
the  French  possessed  canoes,  it  would  not  have  been  possible  to  use  them;8s  the  rivera 
were  still  covered  with  ice,  and  from  this  cause  the  Indians  were  prevented  from  success, 
fully  pwsoing  them.  M.  Dupuys  took  care  however  to  leave  nothing  to  fear  from  a  pur. 
•uit.  He  used  such  diligence,  that  in  spite  of  contrary  vwnds  which  detained  him  a  long 
time  on  Lake  Ontario,  he  arrived  at  Montreal  in  fifteen  days.  The  pleasure  of  finding  him. 
■elf  dehvered  from  such  imminent  danger,  could  not  however  prevent  him  from  feeling  sen. 
mbly,  that  so  precipitate  a  flight  was  disgracefiil  to  his  nation,  and  from  regretting  that  for 
the  wont  of  a  trifling  aid,  he  had  been  unable  to  sustain  an  establishment  of  so  much  im. 
portance,  and  of  giving  law  to  a  people  who  drew  their  strength  and  the  right  of  insultinir 
them  from  their  weakness.  * 

"  The  Iroquois  after  this  carried  war  into  Canada,  and  in  1660,  the  colony  was  reduced 
to  extreme  distress  by  sickness  and  the  incursions  of  the  savages.  In  the  year  following  it 
was  ascertained  that  there  was  not  less  than  tvrenty  Frenchmen  in  Onondaga.  They  hod 
been  taken  prisoners,  but  were  suffered  to  enjoy  a  considerable  degree  of  hberty.  These 
men  had  ''^^o'^^^^^^wam  into  a  chapel,  where,  in  connection  with  many  of  the  Hu. 
Tons  asu  soiuc  oi  tuc  OauadagaB,  ihcy  rcguisriy  ssacniblod  to  say  Uiuao.    It  was  reported 


\ 


ONONDAOA   OOUNTT. 


251 


"X 


abo  that  the  natrons  of  the  Onondaga  village,  who  are  the  principal  cwyt  ^Stat  had 
taken  no  part  in  the  conapiracy  which  had  obliged  Dupuya  to  retire,  and  that  for  levendava 
Buccewvely  they  had  wept  with  their  children  for  the  loae  of  the  FVench  prieata.  Thia  re- 
port however  had  no  foundation  in  truth.  The  credulity  of  the  Jesuit  could  not  distinguish, 
in  matters  of  religion,  between  tUngs  which  he  only  desired  might  be  true  and  those  wUch 
were  really  so." 

Location  of  the  colonies  of  Dupuys. — It  will  be  very  natural  to 
conclude  from  the  account  which  we  have  now  given  of  the  colony 
of  Dupuys,  that  its  location  was  contiguous  to  the  Onondaga  village. 
Such  however  was  not  the  fact,  if  by  the  village  of  Onondaga  be 
meant  their  principal  village.    From  some  incidental  allusions  made 
in  history  to  the  relative  position  of  this  colony,  it  is  to  be  inferred 
that  it  was  established  upon  grounds  now  occupied  by  the  village  of 
Salina.    In  a  passage  of  the  history  written  by  Francis  Creuxius, 
which  we  have  already  had  occasion  to  quote,  it  is  stated  that  the 
place  agreed  upon  for  the  residence  of  the  French  was  distant  from 
the  Indian  village  about  four  French  leagues,  and  that  this  place  was 
distinguished  for  two  remarkable  sprmgs,  issuing  from  the  same  hill, 
the  one  aflTording  an  abundance  of  salt  water,  the  other  of  fresh.    He 
states,  also,  that  at  this  place  there  was  an'  extensive  meadow,  or 
s|)acious  open  grounds  which  reached  down  to  the  hank  of  the  Lake 
Gannentaha.    It  appears  also  from  the  circumstaccds  connected  with 
the  departure  of  the  colony,  that  they  must  have  been  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  lake,  as  their  batteaux  were  constructed  in  the 
Jesuit's  house,  and  launched  and  freighted  without  any  allusion  from 
the  historians  to  the  time  that  m'st  have  been  occupied  or  the  diffi- 
culties that  must  have  been  encountered  in  transporting  them  to  the 
place  of  debarkation.     The  reason  why  the  narrative  proceeds  as 
though  the  Onondaga  village  and  the  French  settlement  occupied  the 
same  grounds,  or  were  in  (adjacent  juxtaposition)  to  each  other,  is 
this — that  the  Indians  were  distributed  into  different  villages  or  en- 
campments, one  of  which  was  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  place 
where  Salina  now  stands.    The  main  village  was  at  Onondaga,  but 
a  constant  intercourse  was  kept  up  between  the  different  encamp- 
ments, and  the  French  settlement  was  now  a  point  of  attraction 
around  which  the  Indians  rallied ;  and  this  explains  the  facility  of 
intercourse  which  existed  between  the  French  at  Salina  and  the 
Indians  at  Onondaga. 

Skankateles  was  taken  from  Marcellus  in  1830.  Pop.  3,981. 
The  village  of  Skaneateles  is  situated  at  the  outlet  or  northern  ter- 
mination of  the  lake  of  that  name,  18  miles  SV..  from  Syracuse,  and 
has  about  1,500  inhabitants.  It  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  and  pic- 
turesque villages  in  western  New  York.  The  following  shows  the 
appearance  ofthe  village  of  Skaneateles  as  viewed  from  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Joseph  Barber,  on  the  western  Lake  road  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
outlet  of  the  lake,  seen  on  the  left ;  the  Episcopal  and  Presbyterian 
churches  are  seen  on  the  right.  FVom  this  village  the  eye  measures 
about  half  the  distance  ofthe  lake,  which  is  16  miles  in  length  by  an 
average  width  of  one  mile.  There  is  no  marshy  land  on  either  shore 
of  this  lake.    The  soil  is  of  the  best  limestone  quality,  and  the  finely 


352 


ONONDAQA   COUNTY. 


Southwestern  view  of  Skaneateles. 

cultivated  fields  (mostly  fenced  with  cedar  posts  and  hemlock  boards) 
make  a  gradual  descent  for  a  considerable  distance  to  the  marffin  of 
the  lake.  A  railroad,  6  miles  in  length,  has  lately  been  constructed  from 
this  village  north  to  Elbridge,  where  it  intersects  the  railroad  from  Al- 
bany to  BuiTalo.  A  charter  was  obtained  during  the  session  of  the  legis- 
lature in  1841,  for  extending  this  lateral  road  3  miles  further  north  to 
the  village  of  Jordan,  on  the  Erie  canal,  where  that  canal  receives  a 
feeder  from  the  Skaneateles  lake,  after  its  waters  have  afforded  an 
immense  power  for  milling  and  manufacturing  purposes,  the  descent 
of  the  8  miles  from  Skaneateles  to  Jordan  being  about  600  feet.  The 
railroad  between  these  two  villages  will  run  near  the  margin  of  this 
stream,  affording  important  facilities  to  flouring  mills  and  manufac- 
turers. Goods  will  hereafter  be  carried  on  this  road  from  Jordan 
to  Skaneateles,  and  thence  through  the  lake  to  Cortland  county. 
Should  a  railroad  be  constructed  from  the  head  of  the  lake  through 
Homer  south  to  the  Susquehannah,  (and  such  an  enterprise  is  much 
talked  of,)  Skaneateles  and  Jordan  will  become  places  of  exten- 
sive business.  Among  the  important  items  of  transportation,  will  be 
that  of  coal  from  Pennsylvania,  to  be  more  particularly  distributed  at 
Jordan  to  various  points.  '  Previous  to  the  making  of  the  Erie  canal, 
the  great  thoroughfare  for  merchandise  and  emigration  to  the  west 
was  through  Skaneateles.  Since  the  compbtion  of  that  work,  this 
village  has  not  kept  pace  with  some  new  towns  which  have  grown 
into  Targe  cities  in  a  few  years,  under  the  peculiar  advantages  afford- 
ed  by  the  great  internal  improvements ;  but  from  its  unsurpassed 
beauty  of  location,  and  its  great  facilities  for  manufacturing  purposes, 
it  cannot  but  experience  a  steady  and  healthful  growth,  until  at  some 
future  day  it  will  become  a  place  of  no  ordinary  importance.  The 
stranger  who  visits  this  beautiful  village,  often  expresses  surprise  that 
it  has  not  long  since  been  selected  as  the  site  of  an  extensive  semina- 
ry of  iearnijig,  or  some  public  benevolent  institution.    In  tiie  village 


O^rOMDAOA   COUNTY. 


V 


253 


are  about  12  atorea,  a  member  of  cairiage-making  establiahmenta,  an 
extensive  woollen  factory,  flouring  mill,  iron  foundry,  machine  shop,  and 
various  mechanics.  The  first  grist-mill  was  erected  in  the  village  in 
1795.  About  the  same  time  the  first  merchant,  Winston  Day,  estab- 
lished himself  here.  Bricks  were  first  made  here  in  1797  ;  the  first 
tavern  was  erected  the  same  year,  and  only  two  houses  besides  (of 
logs)  in  what  is  now  called  the  village.  The  town  had  been  first 
settled  a  few  years  earlier  on  the  old  Genesee  road.  The  first  bridge 
across  near  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  was  built  about  1800.  The  first 
*^Hlif*^'*Jl"  ^^^  P'**^®  ^*"  organized  July  20th,  1801,  and  then  styled 
"  The  First  Church  of  Christ  in  Marcellus."  It  was  organized  a  Con- 
gregational church,  but  subseauently  changed  to  the  Presbyterian 
form  of  government.  It  is  believed  to  be  3ie  first  church  of  any  de- 
noinmation  that  was  formed  in  the  old  and  formerly  extensive  town  of 
Marwllus.  There  have  been  for  many  years  past  in  the  village  a  Bap- 
tist, Episcopal,  and  Methodist  church,  now  flourishing  societies. 


View  in  the  central  part  of  Manlius. 
The  principal  village,  called  Manlius  after  the  name  of  the  town,  is 
situated  3  miles  S.  of  the  Erie  canal  at  Hulls  landing,  and  about  6 
miles  from  the  railroad.  It  is  10  miles  from  Syracuse,  and  134  from 
Albany.  Its  population  is  estimated  at  between  11  and  12  hundred. 
Annexed  is  a  cut  of  the  village;  the  building  with  an  attic  and 
cupola  is  the  academy,  the  church  to  the  right  of  it  is  the  Presbyterian, 
and  the  one  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stieet  the  Episcopa- 
lian. This  church  is  the  oldest  in  the  place,  and  formerly  stood  on 
the  top  of  the  steep  hill  east  of  the  academy,  (not  seen  in  the  view,) 
from  whence  it  was  removed  on  wheels  to  its  present  location  a  few 
years  since,  with  its  steeple,  bell,  organ,  &c.,  without  jarring  it  so 
much  as  to  remove  a  square  foot  of  plastering.  The  Baptist  and 
Methodist  churches  are  not  seen  from  this  point.  The  latter  was 
originally  ornamented  with  a  spire,  but  as  it  was  thought  by  some  of 
the  congregation  to  betoken  spiritual  pride,  it  was  torn  (town  soon 
after  it  was  built,  and  in  its  place  was  substituted  the  present  low  tower. 
The  two  story  and  a  half  building  near  and  to  the  right  of  the  acade- 
my, was  formerly  a  tavern,  and  is  made  up  in  part  of  the  oldest  frame 


/ 


254 


ONONDAOA   COUNTY. 


in  the  village.  The  cupolas  in  the  distance  belonz  to  cotton  mills,  of 
which  there  are  3  in  the  place,  known  as  the  Limestone,  Manlius, 
(carried  on  by  an  incorporated  company,)  and  Cold  Spring  factories. 
There  are  also  in  this  village  3  flouring  mills,  3  coach  factories,  2  fur- 
naces, dec.  The  Manlius  academy  was  incorporated  April  13,  1835, 
with  nine  trustees,  who  are  authorized  to  fill  vacancies  in  their  number. 
It  has  already  attained  the  rank  of  fifth  in  the  literary  institutions  of  this 
senate  district,  and  received  in  1840  from  the  regents  of  the  univer- 
sity $316.65,  as  its  portion  of  the  state  literature  nind.  The  number 
of  students  during  that  year  was  274,  62  of  whom  studied  languages. 

Fayetteville,  about  2  miles  N.  of  Manlius  village,  situated  on  a 
feeder  to  the  Erie  canal,  has  about  100  dwellings,  4  churches,  and  an 
incorporated  academy.  Marcellus,  about  10  miles  SW.  of  Syracuse, 
contains  about  80  dwellings,  3  churches,  and  a  number  of  mills  of  vari- 
ous kinds.  Jordan,  on  the  Erie  canal,  is  an  incorporated  village,  12 
miles  W.  from  Syracuse,  having  about  150  dwellings,  3  churches,  10 
stores,  and  a  number  of  mills.  Baldwinsville,  a  manufacturing  village 
12  miles  NW.  of  Syracuse,  is  connected  by  the  Seneca  river  with  the 
Oswego  canal.  It  has  upwards  of  100  dwellings,  and  the  Baldwins- 
ville Seminary. 

Pompey  Hill,  on  an  eminence  which  overlooks  the  country  for  a 
gpreat  distance,  contains  about  70  dwellings,  a  Baptist  and  Presbyte- 
rian church,  and  an  academy.  ''  About  two  miles  south  of  Manlius 
square  in  the  town  of  Pompey,  afe  the  remains  of  a  town,  which  ex- 
tended three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  north  to  south,  and  half  a  mile 
from  east  to  west.  Large  spots  pf  black  mould  in  regular  intervals, 
atid  a  few  paces  apart,  in  which  are  ashes,  mark  out  the  sites  of  the 
houses."  Here  were  three  forts  of  circular  or  elliptical  forms,  form- 
ing a  triangle  which  protected  the  approaches,  ^iear  Delphi,  in  the 
southeast  part  of  the  town,  are  two  f^ls  70  feet  perpendicular ;  near 
this  place  are  the  remains  of  tluree  ancient  works.  The  largest  con- 
tains six  acres,  and  has  a  triangular  form.  It  had  a  ditch,  rampart, 
and  gateway ;  the  others  also  have  ramparts,  ditches,  and  entrances. 
There  were  many  graves  within  the  largest  fort,  over  and  around 
which  were  trees  200  years  old.  With  human  bones  were  found  axes, 
brass  kettles,  gun-barrels,  Spanish  coins,  &c. 

The  following  account  of  a  French  colony  located  in  this  town  in 
the  year  1666,  is  from  a  memoir  by  De  Witt  Clinton,  on  the  antiqui- 
ties of  western  New  York.  He  derived  the  account  partly  from  a 
manuscript  journal  of  one  of  the  Jesuits,  and  partly  from  the  sachems 
of  the  Six  Nations : — 

"  From  the  Jesuit's  journal  it  Appears  that  in  the  year  1666,  at  the  request  of  Karakon- 
tie,  an  Onondaga  chieftain,  a  French  colony  was  directed  to  repair  to  his  village  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching  the  Indians  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  endeavor  if  practicable  to  civil- 
ize and  Christianise  them.  We  learn  firom  the  sachems  that  at  this  time  the  Indians  had 
a  fort,  a  short  distance  above  the  village  of  Jamesville,  on  the  banks  of  a  small  stream 
near ;  a  little  above  which,  it  seems,  the  chief  Karakontie  would  have  his  new  friends  set 
dtnan.  Accordingly  they  repaired  thither,  and  commenced  the  labor,  in  which  being 
greatly  aided  by  the  savages,  a  few  months  only  were  necessary  to  the  building  of  a  small 
vill^. 

"  This  little  colony  lemuned  for  three  years  in  a  vny  peaceable  and  flourishing  situa- 


\ 


ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 


25« 


tkm,  dariag  which  time  much  addition  wu  made  to  the  efltabUahmeBt.  and  anonff  oth*r. 
a  nnail  chapel,  in  which  the  Jeauit  vmd  to  collect  the  barbarian,  and uilfomS  It2«d 
cerenioniM  of  hia  church.    About  thia  time,  (1669.)  a  wrtv^f  Si«S«db  eSlSr/^ 

ES'£:?[rw'^~^''"i"*'  •'  theTiUage/hUin;Jo,%':Si:imn'S'CSJ^^ 
had  been  Uken  captiTe.  by  aome  of  the  aouthem  tilU.  *It  appean  evident  thS^  d« 
ty  came  up  the  iMiwaaippi.  pa«ed  Pittabunf,  and  on  to  Olean  C  whei»  leayiB^  U^li; 
ZST:,^^:!'^^^^^'"^-  Z":"?  '•■^'^"»  infonned  ^hart^wMalak^'^to  t^ 

?r tre'^dirrnyrtiti  -'-'•""•  '^'^^  "^  -'^^'  -»^«-  »-y  ^^ 

J!J^''^'.'^''^  '*  Onondaga  Lake  and  the  French  village,  and  finding  no  ailver.  thev 
eeemed  bent  on  a  quarrel  with  the  French,  whom  they  chiried  with  havini  bS  th^ 

mtTrfin*iilt!?Z;L°'^tL"°*Jl,*'ir."''""  ">•  -^ver^ghtbifou^rA^i,^! 
dh^iJ^  .^  ^*^:*'^'y'«'^  *••■*  *"  ^^'^  '»»™'»»'  of  Spanianfa  and  French 
So  wo^  wUh1«'H  "P  T«  "•r*"''"'-  '^«  '"'»'«'•  '^^  the^rtranger.  pS; 
lh!Jr^i:  ^  ^'?'*""  •i?*f»'P«'"«.  ""Peoted  aome  deeign  to  be  in  operatira  to  deon"! 
them  of  their  country.  Thi.  ealouay  wa.  much  increaa.^  by  the  accSati"  n  of  the  Eu! 
repean.  them«,lve..  The  Spaniard,  told  the  Indian,  that  the  only  St  of  Se  FrenS 
wa.  to  tyrannize  over  them.  The  French,  on  the  other  hand,  a-erted  that  ie  SnaS 
were  laying  a  plan  to  rob  them  of  their  land..  «»~"«i  wai  me  spamarda 

rid  iS^Jrvl^fl  *'''"• 'i'"!,'*''''"i"«^''*'°"*  »'  ^^'  «l«t«rmined  in  private  councU  to 
di  .nTSr„..  .k'"  '"*™f  "*  1*'^«  P"^»**'y  "»t""«»  the  a».tance  of  the  OneU 
da.  and  Cayuga.,  thev  agreed  upon  the  time  and  manner  of  attack.  A  UtUe  before  dav- 
break  on  All-Saint,^  Day,  1669.  the  litUe  colony,  together  wiS  the  SdLubTw!,^ 

age*  Evenr  hou«>  wa.  immediately  fired  or  broken  open,  and  auch  a.  attempted  to^. 
cap.  from  the  flame,  were  kUled  by  the  tomahawk ;  and  noi  one  of  the^onStoof  S^I 
laid.  wa.  left  alive  to  relate  the  .ad  diwwter."  wwium.  or  cspan. 

This  history  accounts,  in  th«  opinion  of  its  author,  for  the  appear- 
ance  at  this  place  of  a  small  village,  the  evident  remains  of  a  black- 
smith s  shop.  In  several  other  places  in  the  county,  sfivs  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Adams,  m  his  manuscript  history,  the  remains  of  blacksmiths* 
shops  have  been  discovered,  and  in  some  instances  the  tools  used  hi 
the  trade.  A  blacksmith's  vice  was  found  buried  deep  in  the  ground 
on  a  farm  m  Onondaga  Hollow,  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  south 
ot  the  turnpike.  But  the  existence  of  a  fort  near  this  spot,  every  ves- 
^'0®  .°V^^^*^*^  "  "®*rly  obliterated,  readily  accounts  for  these  relics 
of  civilization.  In  the  cultivation  of  the  lands  lying  upon  the  Onon- 
daga creek,  innumerable  implements  of  war  and  of  husbandry  have 
been  found,  scattered  over  a  territory  of  four  or  five  miles  in  length. 
Swords,  gun-barrels,  gun-locks,  bayonets,  baUs,  axes,  hoes,  dec,  have 
been  found. 


j^?**^. 


SM 


/ 


ONTARIO   COUWTT. 


^^ 


ONTARIO  COUNTY. 

Ontario  county  was  taken  from  Montgomery  in  1789,  and  in- 
cluded all  the  land  of  which  the  pre-emptive  right  had  been  ceded  to 
the  state  of  Massachusetts,  whicn  that  state  afterward  sold  to  Phelps 
and  Gorham,  and  which  Hffcrward  chiefly  passed  into  the  possession 
of  the  Holland  Land  Company  and  the  Pultcncy  estate.  Ontario  coun- 
ty then  extended  from  the  pre-emption  line  a  mile  eastward  of  Geneva, 
so  as  to  include  within  its  limits  all  the  territory  within  the  bounds  of 
this  state  west  of  that  line.  I'his  was  commonly  known  as  the  "  Ge- 
nesee country,"  although  the  title  was  occasionally  more  extensively 
applied,  and  uom  it  have  been  formed  the  counties  of  Steuben,  Allega- 
ny, Cattaraugus,  Chatauque,  Erie,  Niagara,  Genesee,  Wyoming,  Or- 
leans, Monroe,  Livingston,  Yatec  Wayne,  in  part,  leaving  to  a  tract 
around  the  former  chief  town,  (Canandaigua,)  the  name  of  Ontario. 
In  1790,  this  extensive  territory  had  only  1,075  inhabitants.  The 
surface  is  agreeably  diversified,  waving  in  gentle  swells  and  valleys  of 
ample  area,  with  tracts  of  champaign,  and  in  the  southern  part  more 
V  or  less  hilly.  The  soil  partakes  of  a  considerable  variety,  but  a  warm 
\  and  rich  mould  forms  the  greater  proportion,  while  along  the  borders 
of  Lake  Ontario  there  are  tracts  of  clayey  loam,  with  but  a  slight  ad- 
mixture of  mould.  The  principal  streams  are  Flint  creek,  Canandai- 
gia  outlet,  and  Mud  creek.  Tne  lakes  are  Canandaigua,  Honeoye, 
aneadea,  and  Hemlock.  Canandaigua  lake  is  14  miles  long,  and 
from  one  to  two  broad,  and  is  elevated  670  feet  above  the  ocean.  It 
is  navigable  throughout.  Its  inlet  is  a  small  stream  of  some  5  or  6 
miles  long.  The  Honeoye,  12  miles  west,  extends  about  5  miles,  and 
if  about  a  mile  in  breadth.  The  Caneadea,  2  miles  W.  of  the  Honeoye, 
ii  but  3  miles  long :  tlie  Hemlock  is  6  miles  long,  varying  from  1  to  2 
in  breadth.    The  county  has  15  towns : 


South  Bristol, 

Victor, 

West  Bloomfield. 


Bristol,  Farmington,  Naples, 

Canadice,  Gorham,  Phelps, 

Canandaigua,  Hopewell,  Richmond, 

East  Bloomfield,  Manchester,  Seneca, 

Canandaigua  village,  the  capital  of  Ontario  county,  is  situated  in  N. 
lat.  42*  48'  41",  and  3°  20'  W.  long,  from  New  York.  Distant  from 
Albany  195  miles,  from  Buffalo  88,  from  Rochester  28,  from  Utica 
111,  from  Sodus  Bay  on  Lake  Ontario  30,  from  the  Erie  canal  at  Pal- 
myra 12,  and  from  Wasliington  city  365  miles.  The  principal  part  of 
the  village  is  built  on  a  sin^e  street  upwards  of  a  mile  in  length,  rising 
by  a  gentle  ascent  from  the  lake.  The  annexed  engraving  shows  the 
appearance  of  the  central  part  of  the  village  as  seen  from  the  Genesee 
road,  about  half  a  mile  to  the  southwest.  In  the  central  part  of  the 
street,  (north  and  south,)  is  an  open  square,  on  the  western  side  of 
which  are  seen  the  courthouse,  town-house,  and  post-office.    Bios- 


ONTARIO   COUNTY. 


\ 


257 


»om  »  hotel  stands  on  the  opposite  side.  The  railroad  pasacH  a  few 
yards  westward  of  the  courthouse.  There  are  4  churcLs— 1  Pres- 
byterian, 1  Baptist,  1  Methodibt,  and  1  Epi8copal-2  banks,  2  print- 
mg  offices,  a  state  arsenal  and  acadenriy,  an^  a  female  seminary. 
Ihe  residences  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the  tasteful  manner  in  which 
their  grounds  are  laid  out,  are,  it  is  believed,  not  exceeded  in  beauty 
in  any  village  in  this  country.    Many  of  their  mansions  are  large, 


Southwest  view  of  the  central  part  of  Canandaigua. 

splendidly  furnished,  surrounded  by  trees,  commodious  walks,  odor- 
iferous shrubberies,  beautiful  gardens  and  orchards  adorned  with 
flowers  and  fruits  of  various  kinds,  giving  an  air  of  wealth  and  refine- 
ment  to  this  village  rarely  elsewhere  to  be  found.  The  Ontario  Fe- 
male Seminary,  founded  by  the  subscriptions  of  the  inhabitants,  and 
incorporated  m  1825,  is  an  institution  of  high  reputation.  The  num- 
ber of  pupils  in  1839  was  174. 

The  Canandaigua  academy  was  founded  by  the  liberal  donations  of 
Messrs.  Gorham  and  Phelps.  "  The  plan  of -this  school  embraces  a 
thorough  and  extended  course  of  English  and  mathematical  study, 
instruction  in  the  Latin  and  Greek  classics,  to  an  advanced  standing 
ot  one  or  two  years  in  our  colleges,  the  teaching  of  the  French  lani 
guage,  and  a  department  for  the  education  of  common  school  teach- 
ers. A  course  of  mathematical  study,  as  extensive  and  as  practical 
as  IS  usually  pursued  in  our  colleges,  is  taught  in  this  academy.  Sur- 
veying and  civil  engineering  are  ably  and  practically  taught."  This 
institution  has  been  selectedf  by  the  regents  of  the  university  as  one 
ot  the  academies  for  the  education  of  school  teachers,  and  a  depart- 
ment lor  this  purpose  has  been  organized.  The  course  adopted^wUl 
probably  require  three  years,  allowing  the  student  to  teach  school  four 
months  each  year.  The  annual  expenses  of  a  student,  for  board,  tui- 
tion, room  rent,  and  washing,  are  about  $  1 00.  Many  pupils,  by  adopt- 
ing an  economical  mode  of  board,  reduce  their  expenses  to  $60  a 

In  the  summer  of  1788,  the  year  after  the  purchase  of  western 
JNew  York  by  Messrs.  Phelps  and  Gorham,  Oliver  Phelps  left  Gran- 
vilJe,  Mass.,  with  men  and  means  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  and 
surveying  this  extensive  territory.    The  wilderness  was  penettated 

33 


X 


ONTAKIO   OOUMTT. 


as  far  as  Canandaigua,  about  130  miles  west  of  the  German  Flats, 
then  considered  on  the  frontiers  of  civilization.  By  the  assistance  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland,  the  missionary  among  the  Six  Natiops,  and  a 
commissioner  on  behalf  of  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Phelps  succeeded  in 
collecting  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  those  tribes  whose  warlike  spirit 
still  rankled,  on  account  of  the  chastisement  inflicted  by  Sullivan's 
expedition.  This  conference  with  the  Indians  was  held  on  a  beauti- 
ful elevation  overlooking  Canandaigua  lake. 

"  Two  days  had  pawed  away  in  nogotialion  with  the  Indians  for  a  cewion  of  their  landi. 
The  contract  was  suppoBed  to  be  nearly  completed,  when  Red  Jacket  arose.  With  the 
grace  and  dignity  of  a  Roman  senator,  he  drew  his  blanliet  around  him,  and  with  a  piercing 
eye  surveyed  the  multitude.  All  was  hushed.  Nothing  interposed  to  break  the  silence, 
save  the  rustling  of  the  troe-topti,  under  whose  shade  they  were  gathered.  After  a  long 
and  solenm,  but  not  unmeaning  pause,  he  commenced  his  speech  in  a  low  voice  and  sen- 
terttioua  style.  Rising  gradually  with  his  subject,  he  depicted  the  primitive  simplicity  and 
happinaas  of  his  nation,  and  the  wrongs  they  had  sustained  from  the  usurpations  of  the 
while  man,  witti  such  a  bold  but  faithful  pencil,  that  the  Indian  auditors  were  soon  roused 
to  vengeance  or  melted  into  tears. 

"  The  effisct  was  inexpressible.    Bat,  ere  the  emotions  of  admiration  and  sympathy  had 

subsided,  the  white  men  became  alarmed.    They  were  in  the  heart  of  an  Indian  country, 

surrounded  by  more  than  ten  times  their  number,  who  were  inflamed  by  the  remembrance 

of  their  injuries,  and  excited  to  indignation  by  the  eloquence  of  a  favorite  chief.     Appalled 

and  terrified,  the  white  men  cast  a  cheerless  gaze  upon  the  hordes  around  them.     A  nod 

from  the  chiefs  might  be  ihe  onset  of  destruoiion.    At  that  portentous  moment.  Farmer's 

Brother  interposed.    He  replied  not  to  his  brother  chief;  but,  with  the  sagacity  truly  abo. 

^    riginal,  he  caused  a  cessation  of  the  council,  introduced  good  cheer,  commended  the  elo. 

\  quence  of  Red  Jncket,  and,  before  the  meeting  had  reassembled,  with  the  aid  of  other 

■'  prudent  chiefs,  he  had  moderated  the  fury  of  his  nation  to  a  more  salutary  review  of  the 

question  before  them." 

The  reassembluge  of  the  council  in  cooler  blood  was  followed  by 
the  satisfactory  arrangement  of  the  treaty,  whereby  the  Indian  title 
to  more  than  two  millions  of  acres  was  extinguished.  The  following 
account  of  facts  connected  with  the  operations  of  Phelps  and  Gorham, 
are  from  the  Rochester  Directory,  published  in  1827. 

"  After  the  treaty,  Mr.  Phelps  surveyed  the  land  into  tracts,  denominated  Ranges,  run- 
ning  north  and  south,  and  subdivided  the  ranges  into  tracts  of  six  miles  square,  denominated 
Townships,  and  designated  each  by  numbers,  beginning  to  number  both  ranges  and  town, 
ships  at  the  82d  mile-stone,  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  tract,  [now  the  southeast  comer 
of  Steuben  county,]  numbering  the  townships  northwardly  to  the  lake  from  one  to  fourteen, 
and  the  ranges  westwardly  from  one  to  seven.  Thus,  Bath  is  designated  as  township 
number  four,  in  the  third  range  ;  Canandaigua  as  township  number  ten,  in  the  third  range ; 
Pittsford  as  number  twelve,  in  the  fifth  range ;  and  Brighton  as  number  thirteen,  in  the 
seventh  range  of  townships,  in  Gorhum  and  Phelps'  purchase. 

"  As  the  Genesee  river  runs  about  twenty.four  degrees  east  of  north  below  Avon,  and 
Mr.  Phelps  continued  his  seventh  range  of  townships  to  the  lake,  the  fifth  range  was  left  to 
contain  i)ut  twelve,  and  the  sixth  range  but  ten  townships ;  and,  in  order  to  square  the 
tract  lying  weat  of  Genesee  river,  he  set  off  two  townships  near  the  lake,  which  he  called 
the  Short  Range,  now  comprising  the  towns  of  Gates  and  Greece,  [and  part  of  Rochester;] 
and  the  present  towns  of  Caledonia,  Wheatland,  Chili,  Riga,  Ogden,  and  Parma,  being  then 
four  townships,  he  called  the  first  range  of  townships  west  of  Genesee  river,  in  Gorham 
and  Phelps'  purchase. 

"  This  tract  formed  the  counties  of  Ontario  and  Steuben  for  many  years,  until  1821, 
when  Monroe  and  Livingston  counties  were  formed,  except  that  part  of  it  lying  west  of 
the  river,  which  was  annexed  to  the  county  of  Genesee  at  its  organization  in  1802,  and  the 
south  part  of  the  seventh  range  set  ofl'f'roru  Steuben  to  Allegany. 

"  In  1789,  Oliver  Phelps  openod  a  land-offico  in  Canandaigua — this  was  the  first  land, 
office  in  America  for  the  sale  of  her  forcst.lands  to  setders ;  and  the  system  which  he 
adopted  for  the  survey  of  his  lands,  by  townships  and  ranges  became  a  model  for  the  man* 


\ 


ONTABIO   COUMTT. 


Mr  of  mrr»ying  all  the  new  janda  in  the  Uniicd  State*;  and  the  method  of  makinc  hw 
rstaU  a&i«.  u,  m,i)hn  by  articUi  haa  alio  been  adopted  by  all  the  other  lamUfficea  of  mdU 
vidunl  iiropnetiinihipa  that  hnve  followed  afuir  him. 

"  Thu  ArtitUe  waa  a  new  duvice,  of  American  origin,  unknown  in  the  KhkIIhIi  Bralam 
of  conveyancing;  granting  the  poaeemion,  but  not  the  fee  of  the  land;  facilitating  the  fre. 
ouent  changos  among  new  aettl«ra,  enabling  them  to  aell  out  their  improvemenu  and  trana. 
fer  their  p<>«i«<uion  by  aaaignmont,  aiul  securing  the  revoraion  of  the  poaaeaaion  to  the 
proprietor  wi.ere  they  abandoned  the  premiaea.  Mia  land^alea  were  allodial ;  and  the  other 
land-officea  following  hia  oxamplo,  have  rendered  the  (Jcnoaee  famiem  all  fee.aimple  land, 
holdera,  which  has  increaaod  the  value  of  the  aoil  and  the  enterpriae  of  the  people. 

"  Oliver  Phelps  may  be  conHJdorod  thii  Cecropa  of  the  Oeneaoe  country.  lu  inhabitanta 
owe  a  mausoleum  to  hia  memory,  in  gratitude  for  hia  having  pioneered  for  them  the  wil. 
derneas  of  thta  Canaan  of  the  Weat." 

Mr.  Maude,  who  travelled  through  this  part  of  the  country  in 
1800,  says:  " Canandaigua,  in  1792,  was  not  further  advanced  in  im- 
provement than  Geneva,  as  it  then  consisted  of  only  two  frame  houses, 
and  a  few  log  houses.  It  is  now  one  third  larger  than  Geneva,  con- 
tainmg  90  families,  and  is  the  county  town.  Canandaigua  consists 
of  one  street;  from  this  street  are  laid  off  sixty  lots,  thirty  on  each 
side.  Each  lot  contains  forty  acres,  having  only  22  pefKes,  or  121 
yards  in  front ;  thirty  lots  consequently  extend  the  town  upwards  of 
two  miles  ;  but  the  extremities  of  the  present  town  are  not  more  than 
a  mile  and  half  apart.  These  lots  are  valued  in  their  unimproved 
state  at  #600  or  #1,000  each.— The  principal  inhabitants  of  Canan- 
daigua are,  Thomas  Morris,  Esq.,  Mr.  Phelps,  Mr.  Gorham,  (who  ^ 
are  the  greatest  land-owners  in  Canandaigua  and  its  neighborhood,) 
and  Judge  Atwater.  I  was  introduced  also  to  Mr.  Greig,  from  Mor- 
peth, in  England— a  gentleman  reading  law  with  Mr.  Morris." 

"  The  settlement  of  this  town,"  (Canandaigua,)  says  Mr.  Spafford  in 
his  Gazetteer,  "commenced  in  1790,  and  in  1797  I  found  it  but 
feeble,  contending  with  innumerable  embarrassments  and  difficulties. 
The  spring  of  that  year  was  uncommonly  wet  and  cold.  Besides  a 
good  deal  of  sickness,  mud  knee-deep,  musquitoes  and  gnats  so  thick 
that  you  could  hardly  breathe  without  swallowing  them,  rattle-snakes, 
and  the  ten  thousand  discouragements  everywhere  incident  to  new 
settlements, — surrounded  by  these,  in  June  of  that  year  I  saw  with 
wonder  that  these  people,  all  Yankees  from  Massachusetts,  Connec- 
ticut, and  Vermont,  were  perfectly  undismayed,  •  looking  forward  in 
hope,  sure  and  steadfast.'  They  talked  to  me  of  what  the  country 
would  be,  by  and  by,  as  it  were  history,  and  I  received  it  as  all/a6fe. 
In  order  to  see  the  whole  power  of  the  county,  a  militia  muster  of 
all  the  men  capable  of  bearing  arms,  I  waited  a  day  or  two  to  attend 
the  training.  Major  Wadsworth  was  the  commanding  officer,  and, 
including  the  wen  who  had  guns  and  those  who  had  -not  the  boys, 
women,  and  children,  it  was  supposed  that  near  200  persons  were 
collected.  This  training,  one  ot  the  first,  was  held  at  Capt  Pitts's, 
on  the  Honeoye,  and  lasted  all  day  and  all  night." 

The  following  inscriptions  are  copied  from  monuments  in  the  grave- 
yard in  this  place. 

"  GiDBON  Granoer,  died  Dec.  31, 1822,  aged  55  years.    Mr.  Granger  was  bom  at  Suf. 
neld,  Connecticut,  on  the  19th  of  July,  1767.    Having  completed  hia  education  at  Ys!© 


860 


ONTARIO   COUNTY. 


ecrfleeoi  he  soon  appeared  at  the  bar,  where  he  auatained  a  high  character.  He  early 
mingled  in  the  political  ccnflicts  of  his  country,  in  whose  gervice  lie  was  enjgraged  until  a 
short  time  bufore  his  death.  His  native  sta*e  will  long  remember  him  as  one  of  the  ear- 
lie.  t  and  ablest  advocates  of  her  school  fund  system.  For  thirteen  years  he  presided  over 
the  general  post-office  department,  with  zeal  and  usefulness.  Bold  in  design  and  ardent 
in  execution,  true  to  his  friends  and  liberal  to  his  adversaries,  warm  in  his  attachments 
and  social  in  his  habits,  his  life  was  endeared  to  his  associates  and  valuable  to  mankind. 


"  In  memory  of  Nathaniel  Gorhah,  who  died  Oct.  Slst,  1826,  aged  63  years." 


"  This  is  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  Hon.  Oliver  Phelps,  Esq.,  who  died  21st  of 
Feb.  1809,  in  the  60th  year  of  his  age.    He  was  bom  in  the  town  of  \Vind8or,  in  the 

State  of  Connecticut On  the  Ist  of  April,  1768,  the  deceased,  in  company  with 

the  M-n.  Nathaniel  Gorham,  Esq.,  purchased  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 
its  pre-emptive  right  to  the  lands  now  comprised  in  the  counties  of  Ontario,  Steuben,  Gen- 
'?e,  Niagara,  Cattaraugus,  Chatuuque,  and  Allegany In  March,  1802,  he  re- 
ed with  his  family  to  this  place,  where  h"  resided  till  his  death.     He  was  appointed 
"irst  Judge  of  the  county  of  Ontario,  and  elected  a  reprenentative  in  congress  for  the 
iot " 


Northeastern  view  of  Geneva. 

The  vilhige  of  Geneva,  one  of  the  most  beautifully  situated  places 
in  the  state,  was  founded  in  1794,  by  Messrs.  Annin  and  Barton,  and 
incorporated  in  1812.  Distant  from  Albany  179  miles,  98  from 
Utica,  23  from  Auburn,  106  from  Buffalo,  16  from  Canandaigua, 
and  58  N.  of  Elmira.  The  Cayuga  and  Seneca  canal  connects 
Geneva  with  the  Eric  canal  at  Montezuma,  a  distance  of  20  miles, 
one  half  canal  and  one  half  slack-water  navigation.  The  village  is 
situated  at  the  NW.  comer  of  Seneca  lake,  on  the  side  and  summit 
of  an  eminence  120  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  The  princi- 
pal street  runs  parallel  with  the  lake  shore  ;  the  mansion  houses  on  the 
eastern  side  in  the  southern  pwt  of  the  village  have  terraced  gardens 
reaching  down  to  the  lake.  Few,  if  any  places  in  this  country,  can 
be  selected,  which  present  more  attractions  for  persons  retirino'  from 
business,  who  wish  the  enjoyments  of  a  country  life,  combined  with 


ONTABIO   COUNTY. 


261 


the  advantages  of  social  intercourse.  The  village  contains  about 
480  dwellines,  1  Episcopal,  1  Presbyterian,  2  Methodist,  1  Baptist, 
1  Associate  Reformed,  1  Reformed  Dutch,  1  Catholic,  and  1  Univer- 
salist  church,  a  bank,  with  a  capital  of  #400,000,  and  2  newspaper 
printing  offices.  ^  ^ 

The  Geneva  college,  in  this  place,  was  founded  by  the  inhabitants 
and  incorporated  m  1825,  having  a  president,  a  professor  of  mathe- 
matics  and  natural  philosophy,  a  professor  of  the  Latin  and  Greek 
languages  and  literature,  a  professor  of  statistics  and  civil  engineer- 
ing, a  professor  of  modem  languages,  history,  and  belle-letters,  a  profes- 
sor of  chemistry  and  mineralogy.  There  is  also  a  medical  depart- 
ment, having  four  professors.  "  This  college  was  one  of  the  first,  if 
not  the  very  first,  to  adopt  those  liberal  improvements  which  afford 
the  advantages  of  a  scientific  and  literary  education  to  young  men, 
who,  from  the  want  of  time  or  inclination,  are  averse  to  entering  on 
the  study  of  the  classics,  and  who,  were  no  provision  made  to  meet 
the  exigency,  would  be  deprived  of  many  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  collegiate  instruction.*  The  college  buildings  are  situated  on 
the  summit  of  the  elevation  which  rises  from  the  lake  at  the  southern 
extremitv  of  Main-street,  a  site  rarely,  if  ever,  surpassed  for  beauty 
and  salubrity.  ' 

The  following,  relative  to  the  early  history  of  Geneva,  is  from 
Maude's  Travels  through  this  part  of  the  country  in  1800. 

"  Geneva  is  situate  at  the  nortJiwest  extremity  of  Seneca  lake.  It  ia  divided  into  Upper 
and  Lower  Town.  The  first  establishments  were  on  the  margin  of  the  lake,  as  best  adapted 
to  busmess;  but  Capt.  Williamson,  struck  with  the  peculiar  beauty  of  the  elevated  plain 
virhich  crowns  the  high  bank  of  the  lake,  and  the  many  advantages  which  it  possessed  as  a 
wte  for  a  town,  began  here  to  lay  out  his  building-lots  parallel  with  and  facing  the  lake. 
lolfnf  *o^r^  ,  quarters  of  an  acre  deep,  and  half  an  acre  in  front,  and  valued  (in 
ISUU)  at  f  375  per  lot.  One  article  in  the  agreement  with  Capt.  Williamson  is,  that  no 
buildings  shall  be  erected  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  that  the  view  of  the  lake  may  be 
kept  open.  Those  who  purchase  a  lot  have  also  the  option  of  purchasing  such  land  as  lays 
between  their  lot  and  the  lake— a  convenience  and  advantage  which  I  suppose  few  will 

u^*;?~i:  J^"^"'"'^  ""'  *'^'"*^  ^®"*»  *"''  consisting  principally  of  the  declivity  of  the  bank, 
which,  for  the  most  part,  is  not  so  steep  as  to  unfit  it  for  pasturage  or  gardens. 

"To  give  encouragement  to  this  settlement,  Capt.  Williamson  built  a  very  large  and 
handsome  hotel,  and  mvited  an  Englishman  of  the  name  of  Powell  to  take  the  supeiintend- 
ence  of  it.  Capt.  Williamson  has  two  rooms  in  this  hotel  appropriated  to  himself;  and  as 
he  resides  here  the  greater  part  of  thayear,  he  takes  care  that  Powell  does  justice  to  the 
establishment  and  to  his  guests.  From  this  cause  it  is,  that,  ss  it  respects  provisions, 
liquors,  beds,  and  stabling,  there  are  few  inns  in  America  equal  to  the  hotel  at  Geneva. 
1  hat  part  of  the  town  whore  the  hotel  is  situated  is  intended  for  a  public  square.  At  Mile, 
point,  a  mile  south  of  the  hotel,  Capt.  Williamson  has  built  a  handsome  brick  house, 
intended  for  the  residence  of  his  brother,  who  had  an  intention  of  establishing  at  Geneva. 

'In  1792,  Geneva  did  not  contain  more  than  three  or  four  families ;  but  such  ia  the 
beauty,  salubrity,  and  convenience  of  the  situation,  that  it  now  consists  of  at  least  sixty 
laimlies,  and  is  rapidly  receiving  accessions  as  the  new  buildings  get  finished  for  their  re. 
ccption.  There  were  at  this  time,  (1800,)  settled  at  Geneva,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colt,  Messrs. 
Johnstone,  Hallet,  Rees,  Bogart,  and  Beekman;  three  of  these  gentlemen  were  lawyers. 
Here  were  also  two  doctors,  two  storekeepers,  a  blacksmith,  shoemaker,  tailor,  hatter,  hair. 
dresser,  saddier,  brewer,  printer,  watchmaker,  and  cabinet-maker.  A  hat  made  entirelu 
of  beaver  is  sold  here  for  $10.  * 

"  Geneva  is  supphed  with  water  conveyed  in  pipes  from  a  neighboring  spring,  and  also 

by  wells.    From  the  lake,  the  town  is  nlAnrifull"  aunnljoH  mm»k  •>  .^p^t  — ri-fi;  «<■ m * 

nsn.  sseneca  lake  is  forty.four  miles  long,  and  from  four  to  six  miles  wide.  Its  greatest 
Jepth  IS  not  known ;  the  water  is  very  clear  and  wholesome ;  the  bottom  is  sand  and  gravel. 


1.''^ 


262 


ORANGE   COUNTY. 


with  a  clear  sandy  beach,  like  the  seashore,  and,  conaequently,  not  infested  witb  miuqtti* 
toes,  &c.  This  lake  is  navigated  by  a  sloop  of  forty  tons,  which  runs  as  a  packet,  and 
carries  on  a  trade  between  Geneva  and  Cutherinetown,  at  the  head  of  the  lake." 

The  village  of  Vienna  is  beautifully  situated  at  the  junction  of  Flint 
creek  and  the  outlet  of  Canandaigua  lake,  on  the  line  of  the  Auburn 
and  Rochester  railroad,  6  miles  S.  of  the  Erie  canal  and  14  from  Ca- 
nandaigua. It  is  the  principal  produce  market  for  the  surrounding 
country.  There  are  here  4  churches,  an  Episcopal  female  seminary, 
15  stores,  1  printing  office,  5  flouring  mills,  which  manufacture  37,300 
barrels  of  flour  annually,  2  grist-mills,  5  saw-mills,  5  plaster-mills,  1 
clover-mill,  1  furnace,  and  many  other  manufacturing  establishments. 
Vienna  has  a  population  of  1,400.  In  the  vicinity  are  inexhaustible 
beds  of  gypsum,  water  and  quick  lime. 


ORANGE  COUNTY. 

Orange,  an  original  county,  was  organized  in  1683 ;  since  modified 
by  the  subtraction  of  Rockland  county  and  additions  from  Ulster  coun- 
ty. Greatest  length  E.  and  W.  37,  greatest  breadth  N.  and  S.  30 
miles.  Centrally  distant  NW.  from  New  York  65,  from  Albany  SE. 
85  miles.  On  the  east  it  is  bounded  by  the  Hudson,  along  whose  banks 
are  some  of  the  highest  mountains  of  the  Highlands.  Bear  mountain 
18  1,350  feet  in  height,  the  Crow's  Nest  1,418,  and  Butter  Hill  1,530 
feet  above  tide.  The  county  is  exceedingly  fertile,  and  agriculture  is 
conducted  with  great  skill.  Large  quantities  of  sheep  and  cattle  are 
raised.  Its  butter  is  celebrated.  "  In  mineral  productions  this  county 
is  rich  ;  there  are  vast  beds  of  magnetic  iron  ore,  chiefly  in  the  town  of 
Monroe  ;  in  no  part  of  the  state  is  there,  in  an  equal  area,  a  greater 
quantity  of  this  important  mineral ;  there  is  also  a  bed  near  the  village 
of  Canterbury.  Besides  the  above,  hematic  ore  is  also  found  in  abun- 
dance, and  it  will,  no  doubt,  be  of  great  value,  whether  used  separately 
or  in  mixtures  with  the  magnetic  ores.  There  are  also  several  other 
deposites  of  minerals  found  here."  Walkill  river,  a  large  and  impor- 
tant mill  stream,  on  which  are  located  extensive  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments, passes  through  near  the  central  part  of  the  county,  in  a 
northerly  direction.  It  rises  in  New  Jersey,  and  empties  into  the  Hud- 
son near  Kingston,  in  Ulster  county.  The  New  York  and  Erie  railroad 
enters  the  SE.  portion  of  the  county  and  passes  through  the  towns  of 
Monroe,  Blooming  Grove,  Goshen,  Minisink,  W^alkill,  Mount  Hope, 
and  Deer  Park.    It  is  divided  into  14  towns  : 


Blooming  Grove, 
Cornwall, 
Crawford, 
Deerpark, 


Goshen,  Montgomery, 

Hamptonburg,  Mount  Hope, 

Minisink,  Newhurjr, 

Monroe,  New-Windsor, 


'\ 


Walkill, 
Warwick. 


; 


OBANOB   COUNTY. 


\ 


363 


Newburo  was  organized  in  1788.  The  township  has  a  hilly  and 
broken  surface,  and  a  good  soil,  much  of  which  is  under  high  culti- 
vation.    Pop.  il.(i  ?3.  ° 


South  View  of  Newburg. 


Newburg,  the  half-shire  village  of  Orange  county,  was  originally 
settled  by  the  Palatines  from  Germany  in  1708 :  it  was  incorporated 
in  1800.     It  lies  upon  the  steep  acclivity  of  a  hill  rising  from  the 


Washington's  Head-quarters,  Newburg. 

river  to  the  height  of  about  300  feet.  Being  thus  situated,  the  village 
makes  a  fine  appearance  when  seen  from  the  river.  The  river  mar- 
gin, about  600  feet  wide,  affords  space  for  convenient  quays  and 
docks.  A  large  business  centres  here  from  the  neighboring  counties. 
There  are  3  banks,  3  newspaper  printing  offices,  an  incorporated 
academy,  8  churches,  and  about  800  dwellings.  The  village  is  84 
miles  from  Albany,  61  from  New  York,  8  from  West  Point,  10  from 
Poughkeepsie,  and  20  miles  tirom  Gophen,  the  other  half-shire  town. 


r 


964 


ORANGE   COUNTY. 


From  the  upper  terrace  of  the  village  there  is  a  fine  prospect  to  the 
S.  of  West  Point,  the  Crow's  Nest,  Butter  Hill,  and  the  two  Beacon 
mountains  ;  on  the  SE.  PoUopel's  Island ;  on  the  E.  the  picturesque 
valleys  of  the  Matteawan  and  Wappinger's  creeks,  and  the  village  of 
Fiskhill  Landing. 

The  preceding  is  a  northern  view  of  the  old  stone  house  in  the  south 
part  of  Newburg  village,  formerly  the  quarters  of  Washington  when 
the  American  army  were  in  cantonment  in  the  vicinity,  at  the  close 
of  the  revolutionary  war.  In  the  spring  of  1 783,  when  the  troops  were 
about  to  be  disbanded  without  their  pay,  there  was  great  discontent 
among  them.  At  this  time  an  anonymous  letter  was  addressed  to 
the  officers,  artfully  calculated  to  excite  passion.  It  was  dated  March 
10th,  1783.  It  was  subsequently  ascertained,  (says  Mr.  Dunlap,)  to 
have  been  written  by  Major  Armstrong,  afterward  secretary  ofwar. 

"  The  author  assumes  the  character  of  a  veteran  who  had  suffered  with  those  he  ad. 
dressed.  He  tells  them  that  to  be  tame  in  their  present  situation  would  be  more  than 
weakness,  and  must  ruin  them  forever.  He  bids  them  ♦  suspect  the  man  who  would  advise 
to  more  moderation,  and  longer  forbearance.'  He  then  describes  the  high  state  in  which 
the  country  has  been  placed  by  their  services.  And  says,  *  does  this  country  reward  you 
with  tears  of  gratitude  and  smiles  of  admiration,  or  does  she  trample  on  your  rights,  disdain 
your  cries,  and  insult  your  distresses  V  He  advised  them  to  carry  their  appeal  from  the 
justice,  to  the  fears  of  government.  'Assume  a  bolder  tone — say,  that  the  shghtest  indig 
nity  from  congress  now  must  operate  Uke  the  grave,  and  part  you  from  them  forever.' 
That  if  peace  takes  place, '  nothing  shall  separate  you  from  your  arnu  but  death :  if  war 
continues,  that  you  will  retire  to  some  unsettled  country,  with  Washington  at  your  head, 
and  mock  at  the  distresses  of  government.*  The  insidious  expression  of '  courting  the  aus. 
pices,  and  inviting  the  direction  of  iheir  illustrious  leader,'  was  calculated  to  make  the 
army  believe  that  Washington  would  join  them  in  rebellion  against  his  country,  and  was 
certainly  a  bold  artifice,  coming,  as  it  did,  from  one  in  constant  correspondence  with  Gene- 
ral  Gates,  and  attached  to  him  both  by  inclination  and  office. 

, "  The  commander-in-chief  noticed  the  anonymous  address  in  orders,  with  pointed  disap. 
probation,  and  requested  that  the  general  and  field  officers,  with  a  proper  representation 
frdm  the  staff  of  the  army,  would  assemble  on  the  15th  instant,  to  hear  the  report  of  the 
committee  deputed  by  the  army  to  congress.  This  request  was  seized  upon,  and  repre- 
sented in  a  second  paper  as  giving  sanction  to  the  proceedings  of  the  officers,  and  they 
were  called  upon  to  act  with  energy.  On  the  15th  of  March,  the  commander-in-chief  ad. 
dressed  the  convention  of  officers,  (General  Gates  being  the  chairman,)  in  the  language  of 
fruth,  feeling^  and  affection.  He  overthrew  all  the  artifices  of  the  anonymous  writer  and 
his  friends,  one  of  the  principal  of  whom  sat  in  the  chair.  Washington  noticed  the  advice 
to  mark  for  suspicion  the  man  who  should  recommend  moderation.  He  feelingly  spoke  of 
his  own  constant  attention,  from  the  commencement  of  the  war,  to  the  wants  and  Buffer- 
ings of  the  army,  and  then  pointed  out  the  dreadful  consequences  of  following  the  advice 
of  the  anonymous  writer,  either  to  draw  their  swords  against  their  country,  or  retire,  if 
war  continues,  from  the  defence  of  all  they  hold  dear.  He  calls  to  mind  the  scenes  in  which 
they  had  acted  together,  and  pledges  himself  to  the  utmost  exertion  for  obtaining  justice  to 
his  fellows  in  arms.  He  requests  them  to  rely  on  the  promise  of  congress.  He  said, '  I 
conjure  you,  in  the  name  of  our  common  countiy,  as  you  value  your  own  sacred  honor,  as 
you  respect  the  rights  of  humanity,  to  express  your  utmost  horror  and  detestation  of  the  man 
who  wishes,  nnder  any  specious  pretences,  to  overturn  the  liberties  of  your  country ;  and 
who  wickedly  attempts  to  open  the  floodgates  of  civil  discord,  and  deluge  our  rising  empire 
in  blood." 

"  The  convention  resolved,  unanimously,  among  other  things,  that  •  the  army  have  un. 
shaken  confidence  in  congress,  and  view  with  abhorrence,  and  reject  with  disdain,  the  in. 

famous  propositions  contained  in  a  late  anonymous  address  to  the  officers  of  the  army.' " 

Dunlap's  Hist,  of  New  York. 

New  Windsor  was  organized  in  1788.  It  has  an  uneven  surface, 
ffenerally  fertile  and  well  cultivated.  Pop.  2,482.  The  village  of  New 
Windsor,  said  to  be  the  oldest  village  in  the  county,  is  situated  about 


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0RANU2   COUNTY. 


365 


S  miles  south  from  Newburg,  and  lies  at  the  collrtluence  of  Cham- 
bers creek  with  the  Hudson.  The  head-quarters  of  Waahinffton  wai 
for  a  time  here,  in  an  humble  Dutch-like  mansion.         ^^%^ 


'>*fa|p^ 


Birthplace  of  De  Witt  Clinton,  New  Windsor. 

"Di  Witt  Cuhtom  was  bom  in  the  village  of  New  Windsor,  March  2d,  1769.  His 
paternal  ancestors  were  of  Norman  origin.  His  grandfather,  Mr.  Charles  Clinton,  at 
the  head  of  a  company  of  associates,  emigrated  from  Ireland  in  1729,  and  settled  in  this 
town.  His  father.  General  James  Clinton,  was  a  brave  and  useful  oflScer  in  the  French 
and  Indian  wars,  and  in  the  revolutionary  struggle.  A  short  time  previous  to  the  revolu. 
tion  he  married  Miss  Mary  De  Witt,  a  lady  of  Dutch  descent.  The  fruitof  this  union  were 
four  sons,  of  whom  De  Witt  was  the  second.  His  early  education  was  intrusted  to  the  cai# 
of  the  Roy.  Mr.  Moffat,  the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Little  Britain.  At  the  age 
of  thirteen  he  was  transferred  to  an  academy  at  Kingston,  then  conducted  by  Mr.  Jq&n 
Addison.    Here  he  remained  two  years,  when  he  entered  the  junior  class  of  Columbia  ^U 

Fae^mile  of  De  Witt  Clinton's  signature. 

lege.  At  this  institution  he  distinguished  himself  as  a  scholar,  and  closed  his  academic  ca- 
reer in  1786,  when  he  received  the  usual  degree  of  bachelor  of  arts,  taking,  at  the  cO^ 
mencement,  the  highest  honor  which  the  institution  could  bestow.  He  thereupon  com- 
menced  the  study  of  the  law  under  Samuel  Jones,  Esq.,  a  celebrated  counsellor.  After  hu 
ceiving  the  usual  licences  or  degrees  in  his  profession,  he  was  abruptly  called  from  Uie  fuf. 
ther  cultivation  of  the  pursuit  by  circumstances  arising  from  the  situation  of  political  affain 
in  the  state.  "  The  germs  of  the  two  great  parties  which  have  since  divided  the  country, 
were  at  that  time  beginning  to  appear.  His  uncle,  George  Clinton,  then  governor  of  the 
state,  was  assailed  by  a  combination  of  almost  all  the  talents  of  that  section  of  the  country, 
and  pamphlets  and  newspaper  essays  were  poured  upon  the  public  vrith  unrestrained  mt). 
fiision.  Mr.  Clinton,  relinquishing  every  other  pursuit,  entered  warmly  ao^  ezdunvely  into 
the  vindication  of  the  conduct  and  principles  of  his  uncle ;  and  it  ii  believed  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  controversial  politica  on  the  anti-federal-  or  democratic  side  was  man. 
aged  by  him  during  this  period  of  turbulence.  He  continned  wi''.i  his  uncle  as  his  secrets, 
ry  during  his  administration,  which  ended  in  1795.  Mr.  Ci  on  had  been  honored  while 
with  his  uncle  with  the  office  of  secretary  of  the  University,  ad  of  the  Board  of  Fortifies, 
tions  of  New  York.  Upon  the  retirement  of  the  governor  e  also  withdrew  from  public 
life.  But  his  efforts  as  an  individual,  in  rallying  and  supporting  the  party  of  which  he 
might  then  have  been  considered  the  leader,  were  not  for  a  moment  remitted.  To  do  thia 
with  effect,  however,  it  seemed  necessatyihat  he  should  be  placed  in  a  public  station ;  and 
accordi'x'b'  is  1798.  he  was  elestsd  aisssibsr  of  !hs  sssamh!'/  froTn  tVp.  ritv  t'  m>~>  'v.-u 
and  in  1800  was  choaen  a  senator  from  the  southern  district,  and  a  member  of  ibB  cwwil 

84 


i 


966 


OKANOB   OOUNTT. 


of  ■ppointment.  From  i!lie  senate  of  thia  atate,  by  a  joint  ballot  of  both  1»anch««  of  th* 
legislature,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  where  he  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  concerns  of  the  coontry,  in  relation  to  the  differences  then  existing 
with  the  plpanUh  authorities  at  New  Orleans.  His  continuance  in  that  auguat  body,  how. 
•»er,  wis  short,  as  on  receiving  the  appointment  of  mayor  of  New  York  in  October,  1803, 
it  became  necessary  that  he  should  resign  it,  the  duties  of  the  two  offices  being  by  law  in> 
compatible.  This  office  he  held  by  successive  appointment,  with  the  exception  of  twenty, 
two  months,  until  1815.  Notwithstanding  the  political  change  in  the  state  in  1813,  such 
was  the  public  confidence  in  him,  that  he  was  continued  in  office  during  the  exciting  pe. 
riod  of  the  late  war.  When  President  Madison  received  a  nomination  for  a  second  term, 
Clinton  was  put  in  opposition,  and  received  89  electoral  votes ;  while  Madison  was  elected 
by  138.  Clinton  early  became  a  strong  partisan  in  favor  of  the  Erie  canal,  and  it  is  owing 
to  the  bold  stand  which  he  took  in  favor  of  this  great  enterprise  that  his  popularity  in  a 
measure  was  owing.  In  the  summer  of  1810,  he  went  on  a  tour  with  other  commissioners 
for  exploring  the  route  of  this  work.  This  country  was  then  comparatively  a  wilderness, 
and  there  was  not  a  house  where  the  city  of  Rochester  now  stands.  In  the  spring  of 
1815  he  was  superseded  in  his  office  of  mayor,  and  deprived  of  all  his  public  employments 
except  that  of  canal  commissioner.  In  1817,  he  was  elected  governor  of  the  state,  which 
station  he  held  until  the  commencement  of  the  year  1823.  In  the  autumn  of  1822,  he  de. 
clined  another  nomination,  and  returned  to  the  pursuits  of  private  life,  holding  only  the 
office  of  canal  commissioner ;  from  which  he  was  removed  in  the  spring  of  1824  by  an 
overwhelming  vote  of  the  legislature.  At  the  time  of  this  vote,  he  had  for  fourteen  yeata 
been  steadily  engaged  in  promoting  the  cause  of  the  internal  navigation  of  the  state,  and 
whether  in  or  out  of  office,  had  received  nOi  compensation  for  these  services.  The  news  of 
his  removal  had  no  sooner  reached  the  principal  towns  in  the  state,  than  large  meetings 
were  held  to  express  the  popular  indignation  at  this  measure.  In  the  city  of  New  York, 
not  less  than  10,000  persons  assembled  at  the  call,  among  whom  were  some  of  his  strong 
political  opponents.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  people  rebuked  this  vote  in  a  most 
emphatic  manner  six  months  afterward  by  electing  him  their  governor,  and  by  the  laigest 
meOurity  ever  previously  known  in  the  state,  in  a  contested  election  j  which  office  be  held 
pntil  his  death.  When  the  success  of  the  canal  policy  was  made  apparent,  other  states 
eagerly  embarked  in  similar  enterprises,  and  he  was  invited  to  visit  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio, 
togive  the  aid  of  his  high  aiithority  to  their  projects  of  internal  improvement.  When  the 
cabal  connecting  the  Ohio  with  Lake  Erie  was  commenced,  to  him  was  assigned  the  com. 
plinbent  of  removing  the  first  earth  of  the  excavation.  His  journey  through  that  state,  like 
the  progress  of  Lafayette,  was  one  continued  triumph.  His  popularity  extended  to  all 
clasps.  The  merchants  of  New  York  of  all  political  parties,  grateful  for  his  exertions  in 
beludf  of  the  canal,  and  sensible  of  its  influence  upon  Aeir  prosperity,  presented  him  with 
two  large  and  rich  silver  vases.  De  Witt  Clinton  died  suddenly  on  the  11th  of  February, 
1828,  aged  59  years.  This  event  cast  a  gloom  throughout  the  state,  and  in  pubhc  meet, 
uigs  expressions  were  sent  forth  of  heartfelt  sorrow.  Although  placed  in  circumstances 
where  most  men  would  have  accumulated  unbounded  riches,  he  manifested  an  utter  indif. 
ference  to  money,  and  died  in  honorable  poverty.  Even  the  plate  presented  to  him  by  the 
merchants  of  New  York  was  exposed  to  sale  after  his  death. 

♦*  CUnton  was  possessed  of  the  sterner  virtues,  and  would  not  sacrifice  feeling  to  princi. 
pie.  Although  a  prominent  mason,  his  stand  in  relation  to  the  abduction  of  Morgan  is  in 
character.  "  The  sheriff  of  one  of  the  frontier  counties  was  accused  of  participation  in 
this  abduction.  The  governor  forthwith  propounded  a  series  of  written  interrogatories  re. 
lative  to  his  agency  in  the  transaction,  and  on  his  refusal  to  answer,  issued  a  proclamation 
removing  him  from  office.  This  person,  it  is  to  be  recollected,  was  his  steadfast  friend  and 
poUtical  supporter  j  but  he  would  not  allow  any  personal  considerations  to  weigh  against 
the  public  interest.  In  an  interview  which  the  removed  sheriff  sought,  he  said,  •  Strong  as 
is  my  attachment  to  you,  I  will,  if  you  are  guilty,  exert  myself  to  have  you  punished  to  the 
extent  of  the  laws.'  To  which  the  trembling  culprit  replied  in  faltering  tones, '  I  have  done 
nodimg  worthy  of  chains  or  death.'  Unlike  most  American  statesmen,  Clinton  was  de. 
voted  to  literary  and  scientific  pursuits,  and  was  an  efficient  patron  of  learning.  His  wri. 
tings  place  him  high  in  the  ranks  of  science. 

"  Clinton's  person,  in  his  youth  and  early  manhood,  was  remarkable  for  its  masculine 
beauty,  and  as  years  advanced  assumed  a  majestic  character.  His  stature  was  upwards  of 
six  feet,  straight  and  finely  proportioned.  His  eyes  were  a  dark  hazel,  approaching  to 
black,  and  highly  expressive ;  his  hair  brown ;  his  complexion  clear,  and  more  florid  than 
usual  among  Americans ;  his  teeth  fine,  giving  a  peculiar  grace  to  his  smile ;  his  nose 
•lighUy  aquiline.  His  habits  of  reflection  and  close  study  were  marked  in  the  ordinary  ex- 
pressioa  of  his  couaranaace,  which,  controUed  at  an  early  period  of  his  life  to  the  gravity 


\ 


ORANGE   COONTY. 


267 


becoming  th«  mafirtrato  and  the  Mnator,  presented  an  appmiranM  of  aerioiiineH  almoat 
approaching  to  aurterity.  When  epeaking  in  public,  however,  hie  face  rapreeaed.  with  the 
uimoet  flexibility,  the  varying  emotion*  to  which  hiH  worde  gave  vent;  while  in  the  inter- 
ooarae  of  private  hfe  and  in  familiar  conveieotion,  the  gravity  which  reeted  on  hiafaatuiea 
when  not  excited,  gave  way  on  occaaion  to  piayfuineMi  and  mirth.'  He  truly  exhibited 
the  picture  of  a  'great  man,  an  elegant  and  profound  echolar,  and  a  practical  citizen-a 
man  of  letter,  and  the  world,  and  a  character  of  active  worth  to  the  preaent  generation 
and  of  aolid  and  permanent  advantage  to  poiterity.' " 


Western  view  of  the  public  buildings  at  Goshen. 

Goshen,  the  half-shire  village  of  Orange  county,  was  founded  in 
1722,  and  incorporated  in  1809;  the  first  court  was  holden  in  1787. 
It  IS  20  miles  W.from  Newburg,  60  from  New  York,  and  100  S.  from 
Albany.  It  contains  a  bank,  2  newspaper  printing  offices,  2  academies, 
(1  for  males  and  1  for  females,)  and  about  60  or  70  dwellings.  In  the 
annexed  engraving,  the  old  stone  courthouse,  which  was  built  about  the 
commencement  of  the  revolutionary  war,  is  seen  on  the  left :  about  the 
time  of  its  erection  the  king's  arms  were  affixed  over  the  door,  but  the 
revolutionary  excitement  was  so  great  at  this  place,  that  these  royal 
emblems  were  destroyed  the  first  night  after  they  were  set  up.  The 
Episcopal  church  and  the  female  academy  are  seen  on  the  left.  The 
PreslDvterian  church  is  seen  near  the  central  part  of  the  engraving. 

Middletown,  7  miles  NW.  of  Goshen,  is  a  thriving  village  on  the  line 
of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad.  It  contains  3  churches  and  a  bank. 

Montgomery  village,  on  the  E.  bank  of  the  Walkill,  10  miles  N. 
from  Goshen,  contains  about  150  dwellings,  3  churches,  aind  an  incor- 
porated academy.  Walden  is  a  manufacturing  village  of  about  75 
dwellings,  14  miles  NE.  from  Goshen.  "  The  drowned  lands''  of  Or- 
ange county  lie  along  the  Walkill  creek,  in  the  towns  of  Minisink, 
Warwick,  and  (Joshen.    These  lands,  when  drained,  are  productive. 

West  Point  is  romantically  situated  on  the  west  bank  otthe  Hudson 
river,  52  miles  from  New  York,  and  94  from  Albany.  It  is  the  site  of 
the  United  States  Military  Academy,  established  by  an  act  of  Congress 

in  March.  1R02:   nnd  thp  InnrI  npHp/l  to  thf>   TTniioH  fi!t<>ta°   <i>/M.a.~,^«»«. 

by  the  state  of  New  York  in  1826. 


aee 


OlANGE   COUNTY. 


Northern  mew  of  West  Point, 

•*  West  Point  is  a  spot  of  peculiar  interest.  It  has  been  hallowed 
jjy  the  footsteps  of  a  Washington,  a  Kosciusko,  and  a  Lafayette ;  it 
is  consecrated  by  a  nation  to  the  Spartan-like  training  of  a  few  de- 
voted sons  from  every  state  of  our  wide-spread  union :  nor  less  sa- 
credly secluded  bv  nature  as  the  scene  of  retirement  and  study ;  it 
seems  alike  calculated  to  please  the  pensive  sage  and  the  aspiring 
youthful  soldier ;  while  even  female  loveliness  vouchsafes  to  paint  its 
meinories  in  lines  of  hope  and  brightness,  as  '  the  boast  of  a  glory  hal- 
lowed land:* 

*  Bright  are  the  momenta  link'd  with  thee, 

Boast  of  a  glory  hallowed  land ; 
Hope  of  the  valiant  and  the  free, 
Home  of  their  youthftd  soldier  band.* 

"The  view  of  West  Point  as  you  enter  the  Mountain  Gap,  after 
you  leave  Newburg,  is  delightful.  On  the  left  is  Cozzens'  hotel ;  beyond 
It  are  the  academic  halls,  T)arracks,  chapel,  &c.,  appropriated  to  the 
cadets ;  and  on  the  right,  are  the  comfortable  dwellings  occupied  by 
the  officers  of  the  academy.  On  the  left,  at  the  angle  of  the  plain, 
are  traces  of  Fort  Clinton ;  and'  on  the  right,  towering  far  above 
Camptown,  (the  suburb  occupied  by  soldiers  and  citizens,)  stands  Fort 
Putnam,  on  mount  Independence,  venerable  in  its  ruins — '  stern  monu- 
ment of  a  sterner  iige,'  which  survived  the  attempts  of  treason  and 
the  assaults  of  bravery,  only  to  yield  its  hallowed  materials  to  the 
desecration  of  a  rapacious  owner.  Of  the  three  monuments  which 
now  meet  your  eye,  the  one  on  ^  the  right  and  nearest  to  you,  on  a 

S rejecting  tongue  of  land  bordered  with  thick  groves,  is  the  Cadet's 
lonument,  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  officers  and 
cadets  of  the  academy.  It  cost  $12,000.  The  centre  one,  near  the 
iioj^-siaii,  IS  a  uciiuiapn,  ci^tjicu  vy  yjtvu.  juivvm  lu  'Mv  memory  oi 


OKANOK   COUNTY. 


369 


Colonel  Eleaxer  D.  Wood,  an  early  and  distingui8h«d,graduate  of  the 
academy,  who  fell  at  the  sortie  of  Fort  Erie,  in  l1l4:  And  the 
monument  on  the  left,  over  the  levelled  redoubt  or  citadel  of  Fort 
Clinton,  18  sacred  to  Kosciusko."  '        ^.^ 

The  military  academy  was  established  by  act  of  congress,  in  1802. 
It  was  not  however  until  1812,  that  it  was  placed  on  an  efficient 
basis,  sufficient  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  country.  The  number 
of  applicants  for  cadet  appointments  is  very  great.  In  selecting 
these,  the  descendants  of  revolutionary  officers  are  considered  as 
havmg  peculiar  claims  to  notice.  The  ratio  of  appointments  is  about 
three  for  each  congressional  district  in  four  years,  and  on  an  average 
only  about  one  third  of  those  who  enter  graduate.  The  age  of  ai 
mission  IS  limited  from  sixteen  to  twenty-one  years  ;  and  the  acquire- 
ments  necessary  are  an  acquaintance  with  reading,  writing,  and 

Ihonf  oTn"^ V/^^u"'^''*  .^^  *"^*^'"«*'°-  There  are  generally  here 
about  850  cadets  who  are  instructed  by  no  less  than  34  gentlemen, 
themselves  graduates  of  the  institution.  g«xi"emen, 

J*3f  '"''"^*''  "^^^""^l  ^""^  A"?""*  >n  each  year  are  devoted  solely 
to  military  exercises;  for  which  purpose  the  cadets  leave  the  bar- 
racks and  encamp  m  tents  on  the  plain,  under  the  regular  police  and 
discipline  of  an  army  m  time  of  war.    For  this  purpose,  the  cadets        ^ 
are  organized  m  a  battalion  of  four  companies,  under  the  command      X 
of  the  chief  instructor  of  tactics  and  his  assistants.    The  corporals  / 
are  chosen  from  the  third  class,  or  cadets  who  have  been  present  one  f 
year;  the  sergeants  from  the  second  class,  who  have  been  present 
two  years  ;  and  the  commissioned  officers,  or  captains,  lieutenant*. 
&c.,  are  selected  froni  the  first  class,  or  highest  at  the  academy.    Al 
the  other  cadets  fill  the  ranks  as  private  soldiers,  though  necessarily 
acquainted  with  the  duties  of  officers.    In  rotation  they  have  to  ml 
form  the  duty  of  sentinels,  at  all  times,  day  or  night,  storm  or  s\m. 
Shine,  in  camp,  and  evenings  and  meal-times,  in  barracks.    Cadets 
who  have  been  present  two  encampments,  are  allowed,  if  their  con- 
duct has  been  correct,  to  be  absent  the  third,  on  furlough.    The 
drills  or  military  exercises,  consist  in  the  use  of  the  musket,  rifle,  cai*. 
non,  mortar,  howitzer,  sabre,  and  rapier,  or  broad  and  small  sword  i 
encing,  firmg  at  targets,  &c.,  evolutions  of  troops,  including  those  of 
the  hne ;  and  the  preparation  and  preservation  of  all  kinds  of  ammu- 
nition  and  materials  for  war.     The  personal  appearance  of  the  corps 
ot  cadets  cannot  fail  to  attract  admiration;  especially  on  parade  or 

StT.J  kT^'J'"'-  ''•  *  «'^y  *'*'*^^^'  ^^^  Sm  PWJteloons  in 
winter,  and  white  men  in  summer.  The  dress  cap  is  black,  with 
dark  pompoon.  The  splendid  band  of  music,  which,  under  Willis, 
made  hill  and  valley  rmg  with  notes  of  •  linked  harmony  long  drawn  • 
out,  though  changed,  still  pleases;  ajui  under  its  new  leader,  pro- 
mises soon  to  deserve  its  former  renpwn,  as  the  best  in  our  country. 
Ihe  cadets  return  from  camp  to  barracks  on  the  last  of  August, 
and  the  remaining  ten  months  of  the  academic  year  are  devoted  to 

meir  arduous  studies.     The  ceremonv  of  atrJUnn.  tU^  t^r,*«  „_  j u 

mg  out  ot  camp  is  so  imposing,  as  to  be  well  worth  an  effort  of  the 


sT* 


)I70 


I 


ORANOa   COUNTY. 


Tititer  to  be  present  on  that  occBsion.  On  the  previoui  eveninff,  th« 
camp  is  brilHantly  illuminated ;  and  being  enlivened  with  music,  dano 
ing,  Mid  bevies  of  beautiful  strangers,  presents  quite  a  fuiry  scene. 

"  For  the  sake  of  more  full  instruction,  each  class  is  divided  into 
■everal  sections,  each  having  a  separate  instructor.  Thus  each  cadet 
is  called  upon,  at  almost  every  recitation,  to  explain  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  lesson ;  for  the  morning  recitations  generally  occupy 
two  hours  each.  The  written  or  delineated  demonstrations,  are  ex- 
plained on  a  black-    )ard  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  section. 

"  The  studies  of  the  first  year  are  algebra,  geometry,  descriptive 
geometry,  trigonometry,  and  the  French  language.  All  the  mathe- 
matical studies  are  practically  taught  and  applied  to  numerous  pro- 
blems not  in  the  books ;  on  the  resolution  ot  which  greatly  depends 
the  reputation  and  standing  of  each  rival  candidate  for  pre-eminence. 
The  studies  of  the  second  year,  are  the  theory  of  shades,  shadows, 
and  perspective,  practically  illustrated ;  analytic  geometry,  with  its 
application  to  conic  sections ;  the  integral  and  differential  calculus,  or 
science  of  fluxions ;  surveying  and  mensuration ;  the  French  lan- 
guage, and  the  elements  of  drawing,  rhetoric,  grammar,  geography, 
and  topography  with  the  pen.  This  completes  the  course  ofmathe- 
matics,  and  aho  of  French,  which  the  cadets  learn  to  translate  freely 
as  a  key  to  military  science,  but  which  few  of  them  speak  fluently. 

"  The  third  year  is  devoted  to  a  course  of  natural  philosophy,  in- 
cluding mechanics,  optics,  electricity,  magnetism,  and  astronomy ; 
together  with  chemistry,  and  sketching  landscapes  with  the  pencil. 

"  The  fourth  and  last  year  is  appropriated  to  the  study  of  artillery 
and  infantry  tactics ;  the  science  of  war,  and  fortification,  or  military 
engineering;  a  complete  course  of  civil  engineering,  embracing  the 
construction  of  roads  and  bridges,  railroads  and  canals,  with  the  im- 
provement of  rivers  and  harbors,  &c.  «&. ;  a  course  of  mineralogy, 
geology,  and  military  pyrotechny ;  together  with  moral  philosophy, 
and  national  and  constitutional  law. 

'  "  To  test  the  progress  of  the  cadets  in  these  studies,  semi-annual 
examinations  are  held,  commencing  on  the  first  Mondays  of  January 
and  June  ;  at  the  latter  of  which  a  Doard  of  visiters,  appointed  by  the 
secretary  of  war,  is  present,  to  make  a  critical  official  report  of  the 
state  of  the  academy.  The  examination  of  all  the  classes,  Cisaully 
occupies  about  a  fortnight,  and  is  very  stvere  ;  but  still  is  "wl  c  :>• 
sidered  the  full  test  of  individual  proficiency.  Each  instruc  i  nakes 
a  weekly  class  report,  on  which  is  recorded  the  daily  performance 
of  each  cadet ;  those  who  excel  being  credited  3,  and  those  who  fail 
entirely  marked  0.  These  marks  are  accessible  to  the  cadets  from 
week  to  week,  and  stimulate  their  exertions :  finally,  they  are  summed 
up  at  the  end  of  ^^ >^  term,  and  laid  before  the  academic  staff  and 
visiters ;  so  tia.  ffja  staTMling  of  each  cadet  is  influenced  not  only  by 
his  examine  I;  ioa,  I  .t  l?y  all  his  previous  recitations.  A  certain  pre- 
scriptive prdiicitiioy  being  required  of  the  cadets  in  each  branch, 
those  who  fail  below  this  limit  are  necessarily  discharged  from  the 
service.    Averaging  the  last  ten  years,  where  a  class  of  one  hundred 


\ 


OIANOB    COUNTY. 


vn 


enterj  the  academv.  it  ig  reduced  to  about  ieventy  at  the  end  of  iir 
month..  ..xty  at  tlio  end  of  one  year,  fifty  at  the  Ld  of  two  year. 

aflR^'^  ". ""  9""*'"''  "^f '^-'•°»  of  every  cla.s,  made  out  at  thn  end 
of  each  academic  year;  the  merit  of  each  cadet  beintf  cxDre.rd  hv 
a  number  denoting  his  proficiency  or  acquirements^  Burthe  fina^ 
.tandjng  of  each  cadet,  on  which  depends  his  rank  in  the  arm  v  i. 
determmed  by  the  .urn  of  his  merit  in  ill  the  different  brnncheJ    ^ 
th.8  depen<ls  .ot  only  on  hi.  actual  proficiency  in  any  branch  bu  also 
on  if .  relafve  r.^rtance.     This  la'tter  is  thu^  e«tmiL7at  p;e^^^^^^ 
the  academic  .tart;  viz:  Conduct  800;  engineering  300 ;  mathematici 
800    nat    al  philosophy  300  ;  chemistry  and  min?rn!ogy  20o7  Hie  ^ 
nn  ethics  ana  law  200 ;  infantry  tactic^  200 ;  artillerflOO    Frenct 
^.0;  anddrawmglOO.,  Hence  the  individua  who  .h4lde«^^^^^ 
the  branches,  would  be  Credited  with  2,100  on  tKnal  lr"roU    bu 
no  more  than  three  or  four  such  instances  have  evroSTu^red  ai  the 
academy     The  cadet  in  each  cla..  having  the  greate.r.um  of  merit 
1.  Placed  fir.t  on  the  roll,  and  so  onward ;  and  TXi.  d^fide^t  ?n 
only  one  .ingle  branch  is  discharged,  or  else  turned  Lcklotherv«i^ 
to  receive  a  .econd  probation."-/fi.n^.  Letter.  aboTth^Hv^ol 

The  graduate,  of  the  military  academy  are  enUtled  bf  law  ^i  a 
p  eference  over  other  applicant,  for  commission,  in  1  amy     C^  / 
graduating  they  receive  the  commi..ion.  of  brevet,  second  iLute^  '^ 
ant.,  and  are  .ub.equently  promoted  on  the  occurrence  of  vacS. 

On  the  river  bank  at  the  point 
where  the  Hudaon  tuma  aud. 
denly  to  the  aoulh,  about  30 
roda  eaat  of  Coxiena*  hotel, 
(aeen  in  the  drawing,)  atanda 
the  monument  of  Koaciualu). 
It  waa  completed  in  1839,  by 
the  corpa  of  cadeta,  at  an  ex. 
penae  of  about  $5,000.  fii 
^e  vicinity  of  the  monument  ia 
Koaciusko'a  garden,  "whither 
the  Poliah  chieftain  waa  accua. 
tomed  to  retire  for  atudy  and 
reflection.  Marka  of  cultivation 
are  perceptible  in  the  diapoaition 
of  the  walka  and  treea,  and  the 
beautiful  secluaion  of  theapotatiU 
invite  to  thought  and  repoae." 

thuZlfl'n  ?? J*^""""'  '"  '"'''*f  ■"  *«  American  revolutionary  war,  waa  bom  in  Li. 

War^'^nl  ^^lw\T»rH'  7^-  ""p"'  f'^y^'^^^  educated^the  mrai?^"hooi  of 

FraEto  W««hnJ  K  •I"'  u  ^™""'*'-  .""  """>«  ^  America,  recommended  S 
rranwin  to  Washington,  by  whom  he  waa  appointed  an  aid      Ha  wn>  .I./.  .™.»:_,!j     ' 

engineer  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  i„  Oct..  ITT^     He  fortified  tJe  c^mpt^erolt^.  i" 

4err'H?wrrh.®"'r"^;il"\r  "f'«"''"»  ""' '"  West  Ponrtt.  erect  A^workS 
Tmembfr  on^.  r1  ''^  '"!""'^  ^"'^^^  American  and  French  officers  He  was  admS 
ol^e^f  !L  *^^.-"""""''  ""^  '""'^«'*  '»>«  ^'^^  of  congress  for  his  services.  A  £e 
neAl  u„5^:  pJntrwskT  T;  t  T"^'^  «?  h«  ^'"'^l''"""'''^'  «"<»  -"  made  ma^  .fe! 
were  dtt:oy^edTthel.eSU"ar!.7l^^^^^^^^^^  »>."'  i"!  ^^^4f 

«a  the  braking  out  of  a  new  „volutio-„7he  waa  made  i^eraH;.;;;:;:;^^  VPJT^^ 


rt§eituko'§  Mottumtnt. 


SK 


-  '■  w>^r;<Trtri>T7^'^4W'^ain.iBj(Hiif''3K-'?T'«BpHI|B|!|H 


iiiimiii.i  jifi  .ii..uj«j)iii»w 


272 


ORANGE    COUNTY. 


dictator.  Ho  inanngcd  with  great  address  and  bravery,  until  tiie  10th  of  October,  when 
being  overpowered  and  wounded,  he  was  made  prisoner,  and  carried  to  St.  Petersburg. 
He  wan  kept  in  coniincincnt  until  the  death  of  Catherine,  when  he  waa  relieved  by  Paul, 
loaded  with  honors,  and  ofllred  employment  in  the  Russian  service,  which  he  declined.  It 
ifl  said  that  when  the  emperor  presented  him  with  his  own  sword,  Kosciusko  told  him,  *  I 
no  longer  need  a  sword — I  have  no  longer  a  country.'  In  1797,  ho  visited  the  United 
States,  and  received  a  grant  from  congress  for  his  services.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he 
retired  to  Switzerland,  where  he  died  in  Oct.  16,  1817.  His  remains  were  taken  to  Cra. 
cow.  and  a  publie  funeral  made  for  him  at  Warsaw,  where  almost  divine  honors  were  paid 
him." — EHcyclujiedia  Aiiiericuua. 


\  Ancient  view  of  West  Point. 

[The  above  view  of  West  Point  as  it  appeared  during  the  revolution,  is  copied  from  a  plate 
in  the  New  York  Magazine,  published  in  1790.  Exphmation.  A,  Constitution  Island,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river.  B,  A  chain,  450  yards  in  length,  reaching  across  the  Hudson.  C,  Fort 
Clinton,  the  principal  foft,  and  intended  for  the  defence  of  the  nver  against  any  naval  force.] 

"  After  the  capture  of  forts  Washington  and  Lee,  during  the  revolutien,  the  British  as- 
cended  the  river  freely  in  their  armed  ships.  But  in  the  execution  of  Washington's  design 
of  shutring  up  the  eneihy  in  New  York,  by  the  assistance  of  the  French  naval  and  military 
forces,  it  became  necessary  to  exclude  him  from  the  Hudson.  Skilful  engineers  sent  out 
by  the  French  monarch,  selected  West  Point  as  the  most  advantageous  position  for  com. 
manding  the  river.  The  hill,  composed  of  huge  crags  and  blocks  of  stone,  fantastically 
heaped  by  nature,  protrudes  to  the  middle  of  the  river,  impelling  its  waters  to  the  opposite 
hank,  and  narrowing  the  channel  to  less  than  half  a  mile  in  width. 

"  The  cliff  selected  for  the  fortress,  rests  against  a  lofty  ridge  broken  into  small  emi- 
nences, that  form  a  species  of  amphitheatre,  washed  below  by  the  river.  It  rises  in  terra, 
ces,  the  first  of  which  is  very  narrow,  and  neariy  level  with  the  river ;  the  second,  approach, 
able  by  a  steep  ascent  of  80  or  90  feet,  and  the  third,  rising  188  feet  above  -the  water, 
spreads  into  a  plateau  of  more  than  a  mile  in  circumference,  on  which  the  principal  works 
were  constructed '  the  chief  of  which,  was  Fort  Clinton.  The  declivity  is  exceedingly  steep 
neariy  all  around,  and  the  only  side  on  which  the  enceinte  was  accessible,  was  thickly 
palisaded,  and  defended  by  batteries.  An  escalade,  the  sole  mode  of  carrying  the  works, 
was  subjected  to  extreme  hazard.  There  were  several  redoubts  upon  the  eminences,  which 
commanded  Fort  Clinton,  of  which  Fort  Putnam  was  the  most  important.  These  covered 
each  other,  and  the  garrison  and  ammunition  stores  were  under  bomb  proof  casements. 
The  works  partly  hewn  in  the  rock,  and  partly  constructed  of  enormous  trunks  of  trees, 
felled  on  the  spot,  communicating  by  defiles,  fonr.ed  a  group  of  strongholds,  connected  by 
a  common  system  of  defence.  The  upper  forts  were  secured  from  assault  by  the  rugged- 
ncas  of  the  ground,  thick  wood?,  nnd  TiTiTr,rrn«s  r.katli,  which  mads  the  transport  of  arlU. 
lery  impracticable,  whilst  they  gave  full  protection  to  the  lower  ones. 


ORANOB   COUNTY. 


273 


But,  another  work  bendea  thoM  impregnable  fortifioationa,  was  nwemry  to  the  com- 
jnaad  of  the  river.  Conatitution  Island  dividee  the  bed  of  the  Hudson  unequally,  at  the 
bend  round  the  Point ;  the  western  branch  being  a  manhy  shallow.  The  Mmad,  a  masa 
of  rook,  was  defended  by  batteries  on  a  level  with  the  water,  and  the  glacis  formed  in  the 
rock,  bade  defiance  to  trenches.  A  heavy  chain  cramped  into  the  rocks  at  either  end,  (lip. 
ported  by  buoys,  stretched  across  the  angle  made  by  the  river,  and  formed  an  effectual  bar. 

1  he  great  object  of  the  works  on  both  sides,  was  to  protect  this  chain.  Twenty  piecea 
of  heavy  ordnance,  dischareing  grape,  menaced  those  who  should  attempt  to  cut  a  link,  and 
would  have  mevitably  sunk  their  boats.  If  a  vessel,  iron  beaked,  impelled  by  wind  and 
tide,  should  attempt  it,  the  chain  moving  on  a  roller  would  grow  slack,  and  the  shock,  thua 
broken,  would  be  again  strained  to  its  due  tension,  and  the  vessel,  turned  aside,  must  be 
stranded  on  one  or  the  other  shore,  and  remain  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  batteries,  which 
might  be  poured  upon  all  points  of  the  Strait.  These  forts,  provided  with  necessary  muni- 
tions,  were  defended  by  four  thousand  men.  They  had  been  built  in  the  course  of  a  single 
year,  almost  without  cost ;  the  soldiers  who  labored  at  them  received  no  pay,  and  the 
drench  engineers  superintending,  in  the  minutest  detail,  the  execution  of  their  own  plana, 
had  no  emolument  whatever.  This  poet  was  much  desired  by  the  British  commandeta 
and  ite  surrender  was  to  have  been  the  first  fruit  of  Arnold's  treason."— Cordon'*  Oaxet. 

The  name  of  Little  Britain  is  given  to  a  district  of  about  4  miles 
dcjuare,  m  Hamptonburg  and  New  Windsor,  settled  in  1722  by  Col. 
Charles  Clinton,  (the  progenitor  of  the  distinguished  family  of  Clinton,) 
and  his  associate  emigrants  from  Ireland. 

"George  Clinton, 
the  youngest  son  of  Col. 
Charles  Clinton,  was 
bom  in  Orange  county, 
July  IS,  1739.  His  ed- 
ucation was  superin- 
tended by  his  father,  a  / 
gentleman  of  a  highly 
cultivated  mind,  assist- 
ed by  a  minister  of  the 

educated  at  the  university  of  Aberdeen.  He  evinced  at  an  early  age 
that  spirit  of  activity  and  enterprise  which  marked  his  after  life.  Du- 
nng  what  was  called  the  French  war,  he  left  his  father's  house,  and 
entered  on  board  of  a  privateer,  which  sailed  from  the  port  of  New 
York;  and  after  encountering  great  hardships  and  perils,  returned 
home,  and  immediately  accepted  a  lieutenancy  in  a  company  com- 
manded by  his  brother  James.  He  was  present  at  the  capture  of  Fort 
Frontenac,  now  Kingston,  where  the  company  to  which  he  belonged 
behaved  with  great  gallantry.  After  the  usual  time  of  study  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  practised  with  much  success  in  his  native 
county,  until  his  election  to  the  colonial  assembly,  where  he  became 
the  head  of  the  whig  parly,  or  minority,  and  uniformly  opposed  the 
arbitrary  course  of  the  government.  He  was  chosen,  April  22d,  1775, 
a  delegate  to  the  continental  congress  ;  and  in  1776,  he  was  appointed 
brigadier-general  of  Ulster  county,  and  some  time  after,  a  brigadier  in 
the  army  of  the  United  States.  At  the  first  election  under  the  consti- 
tution of  the  state,  which  was  adopted  April  20,  1777,  he  was  chosen 
b^h  governor  and  lieutenant-governor.  Having  accepted  the  former 
office,  the  latter  was  filled  by  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt.    He  continued  in 

/  35 


2T4 


/ 


ORLEANS   COUNTY. 


the  chief  magistracy  of  the  state  during  six  terms,  or  ).8  years,  when 
he  declined  a  re-election.  In  consequence  of  the  great  number  of  to- 
nes who  resided  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and  its  distracted  concition, 
the  situation  of  Governor  Clinton  wus  more  arduous  and  important  than 
any  other  in  the  Union,  save  that  of  the  commander-in-chief.  He, 
however,  behaved  with  the  greatest*  energy,  not  only  as  chief  magis- 
trate, but  as  an  actual  head  of  the  militia ;  and  for  a  long  time  resisted 
the  attacks  of  the  whole  British  army,  commanded  by  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton. By  a  vigorous  exertion  of  authority,  in  the  impressment  of  flour, 
on  an  important  occasion,  he  ]  eserved  the  army  from  dissolution. 
His  conduct  at  the  storming  of  the  forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton,  in 
October,  1777,  was  particularly  praiseworthy.  He  was  greatly  instru- 
mental in  crushing  the  insurrection  under  Shays,  which  took  place  in 
Massachusetts,  in  1787. 

"  Governor  Clinton  was  unanimously  chosen  president  of  the  con- 
vention which  assembled  at  Poughkeepsie  June  17,  1788,  to  deliber- 
ate on  the  new  federal  constitution.     After  remaining  five  years  in 


private  life,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  at  a  time 
when  the  country  was  in  an  agitated  and  critical  condition,  and  it  is 
affirmed  that  his  influence  was  the  principal  cause  of  the  great  politi- 
cal revolution  which  look  place  in  1801.  At  that  period  he  was  also 
induced  again  to  accept  the  station  of  governor,  and  after  continuing  in 
that  capacity  for  three  years,  he  was  elevated  to  the  vice-presidency 
of  the  United  States,  a  dignity  in  which  he  continued  until  his  demise  at 
Washington,  April  20,  1812.  He  married  Cornelia  Tappan,  of  Kings- 
ton, Ulster  county,  by  whom  he  had  one  son  and  five  daughters. 

•'  The  following  anecdotes  are  related  of  his  energy  and  decision : — '  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  revolutionary  war,  when  violence  against  the  tories  was  the  order  of  the  day,  a  British 
officer  was  placed  on  a  cart  in  the  city  of  New  York,  to  be  tarred  and  feathered.  This 
was  the  signal  of  violence  and  assassination.  Governor  Clinton,  at  this  moment,  rushed  in 
among  the  mob  with  a  drawn  sword,  and  rescued  the  victim  at  the  risk  of  his  life.'  '  Some 
years  after,  a  furious  assemblage  of  people  collected,  called  the  doctors'  mob,  and  raged 
through  New  York,  with  the  intention  of  killing  the  citizens  of  that  city,  and  pulling  down 
their  houses,  on  account  of  their  having  dug  up  bodies  for  dissection.  The  violence  of  this 
mob  intimidated  the  local  magistrates.  Governor  Clinton  fortunately  appeared  in  person, 
called  out  the  militia,  and  restored  peace  to  the  city.'  He  discharged  the  functions  of  vicu- 
president  with  great  dignity.  It  was  by  his  casting  vote  while  in  that  station,  that  the  re- 
newal of  the  bank  charter  was  negatived.  In  private  life,  he  was  kind  and  amiable,  and 
warm  in  his  friendships ;  as  a  public  man,  he  is  entitled  to  respectful  remembrance." 


ORLEANS  COUNTY. 

Orleans  county  was  taken  from  Genesee  in  1824.  It  is  24  miles 
long  E.  and  W.,  and  18  miles  broad  N.  and  S.  It  is  centrally  distant 
from  Albany  257,  and  from  New  York  302  miles.  The  summit  of 
the  mountain  ridge  extends  across  the  county  at  an  elevation  of  about 
340  feet  above  Lake  Ontario.  Parallel  with  this,  on  the  alluvial  way, 
runs  the  ridge  road.  With  these  exceptions,  tlie  face  of  the  country 
is  generally  level.  The  soil,  mostly  clay  and  argillaceous  Joara,  is 
Ijighly  fertile.     Grain  is  raised  in  considerable  quantities.    'Ihe  Erie 


ORLEANS  COUNTY. 


275 


canal  passes  centrally  through  the  county.  The  whole  county  was 
included  in  the  grant  to  Massachusetts,  The  towns  of  Barre,  Carl- 
ton, Gaines,  Ridgeway,  Shelby,  and  Yates  belonged  to  the  Holland 
Land  Company ;  while  Murray,  Clarendon,  and  Kendall  belonged  to 
the  Pulteney  estate.  The  county  was  chiefly  settled  by  New  Eng- 
landers,  and  is  divided  into  9  towns,  viz  : 

Barre,  Gaines,  Ridgeway, 

Carlton,  Kendall,  Shelby, 

Clarendon,  Murray,  Vates. 


View  of  the  public  buildings  in  Albion. 

Albion,  founded  in  1823  by  Nehemiah  Ingersoll  and  George  Stan- 
dart,  Jr.,  the  county  seat  of  justice,  incorporated  in  1828,  lies  near  the 
centre  of  the  county  upon  the  Erie  canal ;  from  Albany,  by  the  canal, 
30.5,  from  Rochester  35,  from  Buffalo  58,  from  Lockport  28  miles. 
The  annexed  view  was  taken  from  the  door  of  the  Baptist  church. 
The  first  building  on  the  right,  a  large  brick  structure,  is  the  Albion 
Female  Seminary ;  the  small  building  in  the  centre  of  the  engraving, 
is  the  county  clerk's  office.  The  building  with  a  cupola  is  the  court- 
house, and  the  one  partially  seen  in  the  rear,  the  jail.  There  are  in 
the  village  1  Presbyterian,  1  Baptist,  and  1  Methodist  church,  the 
'Orleans  county  bank,  2  weekly  newspaper  offices,  and  about  220 
dwellings,  many  of  them  large,  neat,  and  commodious.  The  surround- 
ing country  abounds  in  fruit.  Medina  is  situated  on  the  Erie  canal, 
10  miles  W.  of  Albion,  at  the  junction  of  the  Oak  Orchard  creek, 
which  is  used  as  a  feeder ;  the  village  contains  upwards  of  100  dwell- 
ings and  5  churches. 


OSWEGO  COUNTY. 

PswBGO  pouNTY  was  taken  from  Oneida  and  Onondaga  counties  in 
1816  J  centrally  distant  from  New  York  NW.  295,  and  from  Albany 


276 


OSWEOO   COUNTY. 


150  miles.  Greatest  length  E.  and  W.  37  miles,  greatest  breadth  N. 
and  S.  30  miles.  The  surface  is  level  upon  the  west,  south,  and 
southeast ;  in  the  interior  rolling,  and  in  the  north  rising  into  hills. 
The  soil  generally  is  of  a  medium  quality,  some  of  it  highly  fertile, 
better  adapted  to  grass  than  grain.  With  the  exception  of  the  Oswego 
river  there  are  no  large  streams.  "  The  towns  west  of  the  Oswego 
river  constituted  a  part  of  the  military  tract.  The  towns  east  of  the 
river  constitute  a  part  of  '  Scriba's  patent.'  These  lands  were  origin- 
ally granted  to  Nicholas  Roosevelt,  of  New  York,  who  not  complying 
with  the  terms  of  sale,  they  were  sold  to  George  Scriba,  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  at  that  time  a  mercliant  in  New  York.  The  town  of 
Richland,  a  large  part  of  Volney,  about  one  half  of  Scriba,  and  the 
town  of  Vienna,  in  the  county  of  Oneida,  upon  a  sale  of  part  of  Mr. 
Roosevelt's  interest  by  process  from  chancery,  were  jointly  purchased 
by  (Jen.  Alexander  Hamilton,  John  Lawrence,  and  John  B.  Church." 
The  county  has  21  towns. 


Albion, 

Amboy, 

Boylston, 

Constantia, 

Granby, 

Hannibal, 


Hastings, 
Mexico, 
New  Haven, 
Orwell, 
Oswego, 


Palermo, 
Parish, 
Redfield, 
Richland, 
Sandy  Creek, 


Schroeppel, 
Scriba, 
Volney, 
West  Monroe, 
Williamstown. 


Oswego  village,  post  and  half-shire  town,  port  of  entry  and  delivery 
for  Oswego  district,  is  45  miles  W.  from  Sacketts  harbor,  60  from 
Kingston,  Upper  Canada,  60  from  the  mouth  of  Genesee  river,  140 
from  the  mouth  of  Niagara  river,  and  150  from  Toronto  in  a  straight 
line,  and  38  from  Syracuse  on  the  Erie  canal.  The  village  lies  on 
both  sides  of  the  Oswego  river,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  bridge 
700  feet  in  length.  The  portion  on  the  eastern  side  is  within  the  lim- 
its of  the  town  of  Scriba. 

The  facilities  which  its  situation  gives  for  commerce  and  manufac- 
tures are  great,  commanding  the  markets  of  the  lakes  and  the  St.  Law- 
rence river,  and  connected  with  the  interior  of  the  state  by  the  Oswego 
and  Erie  canals,  The  water-power  afforded  by  the  canal  and  river  is 
very  extensive,  and  upon  them  are  many  large  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments. The  harbor  is  formed  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  by  a  pier 
of  wood,  30  feet  broad,  filled  with  stone,  and  built  by  the  general  gov- 
ernment, extending  on  the  west  side  1,250  feet,  and  on  the  east  250, 
between  which  there  is  an  opening  for  vessels.  Within  the  pier  the 
water  is  from  10  to  20  feet  deep.  The  cost  of  this  work  was  $93,000. 
There  is  here  an  excellent  marine  railway  constructed  at  considerable 
expense.  The  village  is  laid  out  on  streets  100  feet  wide,  running  at 
right  angles.  The  courthouse  is  of  wood,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river. 
There  is  also  1  Presbyterian,  1  Episcopal,  1  Methodist,  1  Baptist,  1 
Congreeationalist,  and  1  Catholic  church,  an  incorporated  academy, 
the  Bank  of  Oswego,  capital  $150,000,  the  Commercial  Bank  of  Os- 
wego, incorporated  in  1836.  capital  S  150,000,  and  about  600  dwell- 
ings.   Pop.  12,209, 


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visions. 


OSWBOO   COUNTY. 


277 


«,,  J  /  J  ♦  "^^  **^  «^??.^  I"''***''y  'mportanco  during  the  colonial 
™'  Z^*"??  "^^  established  by  the  New  York  government  in 
1722 ;  and  a  fort  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the  rive?  in  1787  and 

the  east  in  the  latter  year,  were  on  the  14th  of  August,  1766,  reduced 
by  the  French,  under  Gen.  Montcalm."    The  folfowiig  account  of 

^uXr  nfT\^''^'""^r'^'' °^  ^^^^^  ^°^^«  '«  t^ken  from  the  26th 
number  of  the  London  Magazine,  for  the  year  1767. 

.i.iZi'',^'"^  "  <^5*^«fifo  "''»>«  time  coiuisted  of  three  forto-viz,  the  old  fort  on  the  we.t 
•ide  of  the  nver,  and  two  forts  on  the  eaat  side,  situated  on  two  eminores  which  liefer 

rerSTn^'oifwiiror'T  ""'  "^^  'l  ""  ""«"""""»  ^ate^'S  ^orS  w  e 
reledforadrfl?„I  K  •'"''"''^"^"  "'*"«*  *°  '«««  ''««^y  "ti"ery.  The  English 
nll^    L         .       u^"".  '"''"!?8  "  superior  naval  force  upon  the  lake.    Unfortunatelv  Z 

Zlr™o"mmanl^or'  ^"l^  °"'-^"  >r'"P'«'«-  OH  the  6?h  of  AuSrSo^e! 
r^r«fv-H^^r^ir  ^  f"^?'  "^  *''*  gamson,  which  consisted  of  about  1.600  men  having 
dSdZaSVL^^"^'  encampment  of  French  and  Indians  about  twelvemTef 
TltJl'  °f,fP*  ""«'•  *  schooner  with  an  account  of  t  to  Capt.  Broadley,  who  was  then  on  a 

erwa^  L'hiTouldTHr  "i  '^'  "'""P*"'  •"'•»«  ■""»«  'i'»«  desiring  Umt"  sail  as  far 

ri  e™nT"/°^  *'  harbor,  and  brought  intelligence  that  th;y  had  duSovered  a  yen; 
large  encampment,  close  round  the  opposite  point:  on  which  the  two  u}nZL  VfL  i 

rsseuJetSd  *"""'''  *''""''  •'""'^''''"^    ^'■'"  fi""«  «^«"''  brofdsidea  the 

JlItl^ZL^^J  -IS^  French  invested  the  place  with  about  32  pieces  of  cannon,  from  19 

j'*PO"n'iers,  besides  several  large  brass  mortare  and  hoyets,  (among  which  artiIfl.Tw« 

Ae  ±1*"^  p''?n°'"  Gen.  Braddock.)  and  about  5,000  m^n.TbouTnoonLiy^eZ 

the  attack  of  Fort  Ontano  with  sraall-arms.  which  wJs  briskly  returned  w°?h  small  a™. 

the  weZn?**-^"'*'  '"'^  u^^"!!"  f'"™  *«  °PP«"'«  "de  of  fhe  river     The  ga^on™ 

if  thTo  d  ft     tL7^-  TtK'^  ^"^  '™P'"y^'*  ^  '^^•''""e  *«  ^''"^'y  °«  theSi  «de 

b^ri?g1^^«^^^^^ 

rpry^d'rtfeTy^::!^.'^"^  briskly  re^umed.    The  gi;rison  on'tfe^e^U?;^:!^ 

BtnnS  ♦^'®"''''.°"  '^If  |»«'"<Je  continued  their  approaches  to  Fort  Ontario.  Notwith 
nit*  ?'"'""?"*''*u'^'^  "P°"  *«  enemy  and  the  death  of  their  chief  emrineer  bv  10 
ov  o5  r''  r"'"^  '^'J'  T""**  "  ^''"^^  "f  """n""  within  60  yards  of  the^fort  '  At  12 
o  clock.  Col.  Mercer  sent  the  garrison  word  to  destroy  their  cannon,  ammunition  and  nm! 

I^rH",K'^*"  ?'""''"  ?^  ^•"■'-  ^^°"'  3  P.  M..  the  garrison,  consbti^  of^K  370  meT 
Jnvlf  T  "'T/  ?  V^T?  "'''«  °f  *«  "^«'  ^i*out  the  loss  of  a  manrand  were  em' 
t'JSr  "JP'''  °u  *^  l^'?  I"  completing  the  works  at  the  fort  at  the  West  Ml  On 
tLf.f^l'^  "^f  "  "'^"'«'!*  ^^^°'^'  ?"«*««  "f  *e  enemy's  irregulars  made^everalunsu,^ 
On  thl  S^nf  th  'l";n*'  '"^^''""=*''  ^"^'  ''"'^  ««»»"««  »»  the  wes?  ride  7the  river 
UD  thl^fin  V^'-''!  *^  \"'™y  were  employed  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in  briiS^ 
ZnV  f  T^  ""'^  raising  a  battery  against  the  old  fort.  A  constant  fire  was  keD"S 
them  from  the  west  .ide.  The  cannon  which  most  annoyed  the  enemy  were  fo,,rnip?« 
which  were  reversed  on  the  platform  of  an  earthen  work  which  su^ounded  the  old  fort' 
and  which  was  entirely  enfiladed  by  the  enemy's  battery  on  the  oZ^e  shore  I„  S 
Tnt  h";hT  H°"'  '^'^T  ^°^f  •  '^'  *^'"'  '^'''^  ^y  «  d^tachmen?o750  of  sS^^^ 

Zr;;^  Srn^'/T"^^^^^^^  "/'i  t  "^^'r'^'!^'^  l^*.  *«  Engash  renewed  SK 
-  i.a.1111,1   —  .035  p„,t  „,  t{je  Biioro  wnere  mey  had  iLe  evenins  nrevious  nhoor««^  .»,„ 

enemy  erecting  a  battery.    This  was  returned  from  a  battery  of  ten  12  pouLere     itu' 

f 


/ 


5y?8 


/ 


08WKG0   COUNTY. 


9  A.  M.,  9,500  of  th«  enemy  crossed  the  river  in  three  columns.  At  this  time  Lieut  iJol 
Mercor  was  lulled  by  a  cannon  ball.  About  10  o'clock,  the  enemy  had  in  readiness  a  bat. 
tery  of  mortars.  All  the  places  of  defence  were  either  enfiladed  or  ruined  by  the  constant 
fire  of  the  enemy's  cannon ;  3,500  French  and  Indians  were  in  the  rear  of  the  works  ready 
to  storm,  and  2,000  regulars  were  ready  to  land  in  front  under  cover  of  their  cannon.  At 
this  juncture,  Col.  Littlehales,  upon  whom  the  command  now  devolved,  called  a  council  of 
war,  who  were,  with  the  engineers,  unanimously  of  opinion,  that  the  works  were  no  longer 
tenable,  and  that  it  was  by  no  means  prudent  to  risk  a  storm  with  such  unequal  numbers. 
The  '  chamade'  was  accordingly  ordered  to  be  beat.  The  soldiers  throughout  the  siege 
showed  great  bravery,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  they  could  now  be  restrained  from  con- 
tinuing their  resistance.  On  beating  the  '  chatnade,'  the  firing  ceased  on  both  sides,  and 
two  officers  were  sent  to  the  French  general,  to  know  upon  what  terms  he  would  accept  a 
surrender.  Upon  which  Montcalm  replied,  Uiat  the  English  were  an  enemy  he  esteemed ; 
that  none  but  a  brave  nation  would  have  thought  of  defending  so  weak  a  place  so  long, 
against  such  a  strong  train  of  artillery  and  supvjrior  numbers ;  thot  they  might  expect  what, 
ever  terms  were  consistent  with  the  service  of  His  Most  Chrisdan  Majesty ;  he  accordingly 
aent  iho  following  proposals,  viz; — 

"  '  The  Mnrquis  of  Moncalm,  army  and  field  marshal,  commander-in-chief  of  His  Most 
Christian  Majesty's  troops,  is  ready  to  receive  a  capitulation  upon  the  most  honorable  con- 
ditions, surrendering  to  him  all  the  forts.  They  shall  be  shown  all  the  regard  the  politest 
nations  can  show ;  I  send  on  aid.dc.camp,on  my  part — viz,  Mons.  De  Bougainville,  captain 
of  dragoons ;  they  nned  only  sena  the  capitulation  to  be  signed ;  I  require  an  answer  by 
noon ;  I  have  kept  Mr.  Drake  for  an  hostage.  Montcalm. 

"  *  Aug.  14, 1756.'  " 

"The  terms  required  by  the  English  were  honorably  granted. 
The  victors  immediately  dismantled  the  forts  and  carried  off  the  gar- 
rison, 121  pieces  of  cannon,  14  mortars,  great  quantities  of  ammuni- 
tion and  warlike  stores,  two  sloops  of  war,  and  200  boats  and  bat- 
teaux." 


West  view  of  Fort  Oswego. 

The  following  is  the  American  official  account  of  the  attack  upon 
this  place  during  the  late  war,  taken  from  a  newspaper  published  at 
the  time.  Copy  of  a  letter  from  Maj.  Gen.  Brown  to  the  secretary 
of  war,  dated 

"  H.  Q.,  Sacketts  Harbor,  May  12,  1814. 

"  Sir, — Enclosed  is  an  abstract  from  the  report  of  Lieut.  Col.  Mitchell,  of  the  affair  at 
Oswego.  Being  well  satisfied  with  the  manner  in  which  the  colonel  executed  my  orders, 
and  with  the  evidence  given  of  steady  discipline  and  gallant  conduct  on  the  part  of  the 
troops,  I  have  noticed  them  in  the  general  order,  a  copy  of  which  is  enclosed. — The  ene- 
my's object  was  the  naval  and  militar>'  stores  depo8ite(|  at  the  falls,  10  miles  in  the  rear  of 


OBWKOO   COUNTY. 


\ 


279 


the  fort    Then  were  protected. 
[  am,  &.C. 
"  Hon.  Seeritary  at  War." 


The  etoree  at  the  fort  and  village  were  not  important 
Jacob  Brown,  Maj,  Oeru 


I*  RtPORT.— I  informed  you  of  my  arrival  at  Fort  Oawego  on  the  30th  ult    This  poet 
bemg  but  occaaionolly  and  not  recently  occupied  by  regular  troops,  was  in  a  bad  alaie  of 
defence.    Of  cannon,  we  had  but  five  old  guns,  three  of  which  had  lost  their  trunnions. 
What  could  be  done  m  the  way  of  repair  was  effected— new  platforms  were  laid,  the  gun 
eamages  put  m  order,  and  decayed  pickets  replaced.    On  the  5th  inst.  the  British  naval 
force,  consisting  of  4  large  ships,  3  brigs,  and  a  number  of  gun  and  other  boats  were  descried 
•t  reveille— beating  about  7  miles  from  the  fort.     Information  was  immediately  given  to 
'^apt.  Woolsey  of  the  navy  (who  was  at  Oswego  village)  and  to  the  neighboring  militia.    It 
oin*  °,""b""'  ""  what  side  of  the  river  the  enemy  would  attempt  •  .  land,  and  my  force 
<S90  effectives)  being  too  small  to  bear  division,  I  ordered  the  tents    i  store  to  be  pitched 
»n  the  village  side,  while  I  occupied  the  other  with  my  whole  force.     It  is  probable  that 
Ihis  artifice  had  its  effect  and  determined  the  enemy  to  attack  where  from  appearances  they 
expected  the  least  opposition.    About  1  o'clock,  the  fleet  approached.    Fifteen  boats,  large 
and  crowded  with  troops,  at  a  given  signal  moved  slowly  to  the  shore.     These  were  pre- 
ceded  by  gun-boats  sent  to  rake  the  woods  and  cover  the  landing,  while  the  larger  vessels 
opened  a  fire  upon  the  fort.    Capt.  Boyle  and  Lieut.  Legate,  (so  soon  as  the  debarking 
boats  got  within  the  range  of  our  shot,)  opened  upon  them  a  very  successful  fire  from  the 
shore  battery,  and  compelled  them  twice  to  retire.     They  at  length  returned  to  the  ships, 
and  the  whole  stood  off  from  the  shore  for  better  anchorage.    One  of  the  enemy's  boats 
which  had  been  deserted,  was  taken  up  by  us,  and  some  others  by  the  militia.     The  first 
mentioned  was  60  feet  long,  and  carried  36  oars  and  3  sails,  and  could  accommodate  150 
men.    She  had  received  a  ball  through  her  bow,  and  was  nearly  filled  with  water.— Piquet 
guards  were  stationed  at  different  points,  as  we  lay  on  our  arms  during  the  night.— At  day. 
break  on  the  6th,  the  fleet  appeared  bearing  up  under  easy  sail.     The  Wolfe,  &c.,  took  a 
position  directly  against  the  fort  and  batteries,  and  for  3  hours  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  of 
grape,  &c.    Finding  that  the  enemy  had  effected  a  landing,  I  withdrew  my  small  disposa- 
ble force  into  the  rear  of  the  fort,  and  with  two  companies  (Romayne's  and  Melvin's)  met 
Uieir  advancing  columns,  while  the  other  companies  engaged  the  flanks  of  the  enemy. 
Lieut.  Pearce  of  the  navy,  and  some  seamen,  joined  in  the  attack,  and  fought  with  their 
characteristic  bravery.    We  maintained  our  ground  about  30  minutes,  and  as  long  as  con- 
sisted  with  my  further  duty  of  defending  the  public  stores  deposited  at  the  falls,  which  no 
doubt  formed  the  principal  object  of  the  expedition  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.    Nor  was  this 
movement  made  precipitately.    I  halted  within  400  yards  of  the  fort.    Capt.  Romayne's 
company  formed  the  rear-guard,  and  remaining  with  it,  I  marched  to  this  place  in  good 
order,  destroying  the  bridges  in  my  rear.    The  enemy  landed  600  of  De  Wattevilles  regi. 
ment,  600  marines,  two  companies  of  the  Glengary  corps,  and  350  seamen.— Gen.  Drum, 
mond  and  Com.  Yeo,  were  the  land  and  naval  commanders.    They  burned  the  old  bar. 
racks  and  evacuated  the  fort  about  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  7th. — Our  loss  in  killed 
is  6,  in  wounded  38,  and  in  missing  25.    That  of  the  enemy  is  much  greater.    Deserters 
and  citizens  of  ours  taken  prisoners  and  afterward  released,  state  their  killed  at  64,  and 
wounded  in  proportion— among  these  are  several  land  and  naval  oflicers  of  merit.* — I  can. 
not  close  this  despatch  without  speaking  of  the  dead  and  the  living  of  my  detachment. 
Lieut.  Blaney,  a  young  man  of  much  promise,  was  unfortunately  killed.    His  conduct  was 
highly  meritorious.    Capt.  Boyle  and  Lieut.  Legate  merit  my  highest  approbation,  and 
indeed  I  want  language  to  express  my  admiration  of  their  gallant  conduct.    The  subalterns, 
M.  Comb,  Ansart,  Ring,  Robb,  Earl,  McClintock,  and  Newkirk,  performed  well  their 
several  parts.— It  would  be  injustice  were  I  not  to  acknowledge  and  report  the  zeal  and 
patriotism  evinced  by  the  militia,  who  arrived  at  short  notice,  and  were  anxious  to  be 
useful. 

"  H.  Q.,  SaeketU  Harbor,  13  May,  1814. 
"General  orders. — Maj.  Gen.  Brown  has  the  satisfaction  of  announcing  to  the  troops 
of  his  division,  that  the  detachment  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Mitchell  of  the  corps 


•  Commodore  Chauncey,  in  a  letter  about  thia  date  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  states 

I'  The  enemy  has  pai^  deariy  for  the  little  booty  he  obtained  at  Oswego.  From  the  best 
information  which  I  can  collect,  both  from  deserters  and  my  agents,  the  enemy  lost  70 
men  killed,  and  165  wounded,  drowned  and  missing — in  all  235 ;  nearly  as  many  as  were 
opposed  to  them.  Capt.  Mulcaster  is  certainly  mortally  wounded;  a  captain  of  marines 
Killed,  and  a  nmnher  of  other  omcors  killed  and  wounded." 


980 


/ 


0T8R00  couwrv. 


of  artillery,  have  by  their  irallnnt  and  hidhly  military  conduct  on  the  5th  and  6th  inii, 
gained  a  name  in  artni  worthy  of  the  nation  they  eerve  and  the  cause  they  lupport.  For 
Df'irly  two  day*  they  maintained  an  unequal  conteit  againat  ten  timei  their  number,  and 
but  yielded  their  poNt  when  the  interest  of  their  country  made  that  measure  neceioary. 
The  eompaniea  compoein);  this  gallant  detachment  were  Boyle's,  Romayne's,  Mclntire's, 
and  I'ierce's,  of  the  heavy  artillery,  and  a  few  seamen  under  the  command  of  Lieut. 
Pearce  of  the  navy, — in  all  leas  than  three  hundred  men.  The  enemy'a  force  by  land 
and  water  exceeded  three  thoutand  men." 

Pulaski  village,  Imlf-shirc  town,  was  incorporated  in  1833.  Cen- 
trally situated  on  Salmon  river,  4  miles  from  its  confluence  with  Lake 
Ontario,  36  N.  of  Salina,  and  60  from  Utica.  The  river  at  this  place 
affords  considerable  water-power,  on  which  arc  a  number  of  mrist  and 
saw  mills,  and  several  manufacturing  establishments.  iTiere  are 
about  80  dwellings,  a  rffimbcr  of  churdies,  a  courthouse  and  prison. 

Fulton,  incorporated  in  1835,  is  a  flourishinc  place  at  the  Oswego 
Falls,  10  miles  from  Oswego.  It  has  4  churches,  an  academy,  about 
200  dwellings,  and  1,400  inhabitants.  The  centre  of  the  village  is 
half  a  mile  below,  or  north  of  the  Oswego  Falls,  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Oswego  river,  at  a  point  where  a  dam  is  constructed  for  the  use  of 
the  Oswego  canal.  The  village  limits  extend  above  the  falls,  and  in- 
clude the  Slate  reservation,  which  has  been  laid  out  as  a  village  and 
partly  sold,  culled  "  Oswego  Falls."  The  water-power  is  extensive, 
and  can  be  used  on  both  sides  of  the  river  at  the  dam,  and  also  at  the 
natural  falls.     The  fall  is  about  12  feet  at  each  place. 


\  OTSEGO  COUNTY. 

Otsego  COUNTY  was  taken  from  Montgomery  in  1791.  Centrally 
distant  from  New  York  city  NW.  200,  and  from  Albany  W.  66  miles. 
Its  form  is  very  irregular.  Greatest  length  N.  and  S.  about  40  ;  great- 
est breadth  E.  and  W.  35  miles. 

This  county  is  considerably  elevated,  though  there  are  no  distinct 
ranges  of  mountains  of  much  height.  A  larger  portion  of  the  soil  of 
the  county  is  rich  and  productive.  A  large  amount  of  capital  is  in- 
vested in  agriculture  and  manufactures.  The  Susquehannah  river, 
rising  in  the  Otsego  lake,  flows  southerly  to  the  bounds  of  the  county ; 
then  turning  southwesterly,  forms  a  part  of  the  southern  boundary. 
The  Unadilla  bounds  the  county  on  the  west.  Otsego  lake,  9  miles 
long  and  from  1  to  3  wide,  and  Schuyler's  lake,  5  miles  long  and  from 
1  to  2  wide,  are  beautiful  sheets  of  water.  The  hills  which  en- 
compass Otsego  lake,  have  an  elevation  of  from  400  to  500  feet  above 
its  surface.  The  purity  of  its  waters,  and  the  rich  and  varied  scenery 
about  it,  render  it  attractive  to  the  lovers  of  natural  ^cenery.  Portions 
of  this  county  were  settled  as  early  as  1739.  The  mass  of  the 
settlers  were  emigrants  from  the  eastern  states.  The  county  is  di- 
vided into  22  towns : 


) 


OTSEQO   COWWTY. 


S81 


Burlington, 

Butternuts, 

Cherry  Valley, 

Decatur, 

Edrneston, 

Exeter, 


Hartwick, 

Laurcna, 

Maryland, 

Middlcfield, 

Milford, 

New  Lisbon, 


Oneonla, 

Otego, 

Otsego, 

Pittsficld, 

Plainfield, 

Richfield, 


Springfield, 
l/nadilU, 
Westford, 
Worcester. 


r  ??°R''I^l?^";  ^''^  .''''""^y  ««a*'  distant  from  New  York  bv  wav  of 
Catsk.ll  200  m.  es  of  Albany  211  ;  from  Albany  66.  and  froL  Sea 

li;  ^r^u' !?  ^tT^fy  «'tuated  at  the  southe^  end  of  Ot  ego 
lake,  at  the  head  of  the  Susquehannah  river.  * 


i  S " 

i 

■^^mm 

-..— 

-,•'' 

^^^^^^^^Hl 

HH^^^HH^Hj 

Wej^cm  view  of  Cooperstown. 


\ 


The  site  of  the  present  village  is  said  to  have  been  a  favorite  place 
0  resort  with  the  savages  from  a  remote  period,  for  the  pu^o?e  of 
hunting  and  fishing.  TKe  word  -Otsego"  Is  thought  to  fe  a  cor^. 
pound  which  conveys  the  idea  of  a  spot^t  which  meetings  of  the  I™ 

?  11  'Zr  »S^-    ^^xf'", ''  *  ^'^^^  ^°^k  near  the  outlet  of  the  lake 
ca  led  the  "  Otsego  Rock,"  at  which  precise  point  the  savages,  acl 
there"n^dezvou"s'^  tradition,  were  accustomed  to  give  eal  Uer 

PI.  i  .u^  .  .  ^     Albany  for  that  purpose.    After  ascending  the  Mohawk  as  far  ■»  Fntt 

/        86 


1 


/ 


OTIIOO   COUNTY. 


where  they  encamped  on  the  aite  of  the  prerant  ill«««.  General  Ointon't  quarten  are 
Mid  to  have  been  in  a  imall  building  of  hewn  Iors,  which  then  stood  in  what  are  now  the 
grounds  of  the  '  Hall,'  and  which  it  ia  thought  waa  erected  by  Col.  Croghan,  aa  a  place  in 
which  he  might  hold  bit  negotiationa  with  the  Indiana,  aa  well  aa  for  a  commencement  of 
a  eettlemont. 

"  Thia  building,  which  wna  about  fifteen  feet  square  and  intended  for  a  sort  of  block, 
house,  was  undoubtedly  the  first  ever  erected  on  this  spot.  It  was  subsequently  used  by 
some  of  the  first  settlers  aa  a  residence,  iad  by  Judge  Cooper  as  a  smoke-house,  and  it  was 
standing  in  1797,  if  not  a  year  later.  It  waa  then  taken  down,  and  removed  by  Henry 
Pace  Eaton  to  his  residence  on  the  road  to  Pier's,  where  it  was  set  up  again  as  an  ouu 
house. 

"  There  were  found  the  graves  of  two  white  men  in  the  same  grounds,  which  were  be- 
lieved to  contain  the  bodies  of  deserters,  who  were  shot  during  the  time  the  troops  were 
here  encamped.  Those  graves  are  supposed  to  be  the  first  of  any  civilized  man  in  the 
township  of  Otsego.    All  traces  of  them  hove  now  disappeared. 

"As  soon  aa  encamped,  the  troops  of  Gen.  Clinton  commenced  the  construction  of  a 
dam  at  the  outlet,  and  when  the  water  had  risen  to  a  sufficient  height  in  the  lake,  the  ob- 
■truction  waa  removed,  the  current  clearing  the  bed  of  the  river  of  flood.wood.  After  a 
short  delay,  for  this  purpose,  the  troops  embarked  luid  descended  as  far  aa  the  junction 
with  the  Tioga,  where  they  were  mot  by  another  brigade,  commanded  by  General  Sulli- 
van  in  person.  On  this  occasion,  the  Susquehannah,  below  the  dam,  was  said  to  be  so 
much  reduced  that  a  man  could  jump  acrosa  it. 

"  "Traces  of  the  dam  are  still  to  be  seen,  and  for  many  years  they  were  very  obvious. 
At  a  later  day,  in  digging  the  cellar  of  the  houso  first  occupied  by  Judge  Cooper,  a  large 
iron  swivel  waa  discovered,  which  was  said  to  hnvo  been  buried  by  the  troops,  who  found 
it  useless  for  their  service.  This  swivel  was  the  only  piece  of  artillery  used  for  the  pur- 
poses of  salutes  ^nd  merry-makings  in  the  vicinity  of  Cooperatown,  for  ten  or  twelve  years 
after  the  settlement  of  the  place.  It  is  well  and  affectionately  rumombered  by  the  name  of 
the  '  cricket,'  and  was  bursted  lately  in  the  same  good  cause  of  rejoicing  on  the  4th  of  July. 
At  the  time  of  its  final  disaster,  (for  it  had  met  with  many  vicissitudes  by  field  and  flood, 
having  actually  been  once  thrown  into  the  lake,)  it  is  said  there  was  no  very  perceptible 
difference  in  size  between  its  touch-hole  and  its  muzzle." — Chronicles  of  Cooperstovm. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  settle  Cooperstown  about  10  years  before 
the  revolution,  by  Mr.  John  Christopner  Hartwick,  which  however 
provetJ  abortive ;  and  between  the  years  1761  and  1770,  Col.  Croghan 
with  his  family  resided  for  a  short  time  on  the  spot.  A  final  settle- 
ment was  commenced  in  1786,  under  the  auspices  William  Cooper, 
Esq.,  from  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  who  purchased  the  tract  on 
which  the  village  now  stands.  The  regular  commencement  of  the 
village  dates  more  properly  from  1788,  as  at  this  time  it  was  regu- 
larly laid  out.  At  the  formation  of  the  county,  in  1791,  Cooperstown 
was  designated  as  the  county  seat,  Mr.  Cooper  being  appointed  the 
first  judge  of  the  county  court. 

Among  the  incidents  of  this  early  day,  the  following  anecdote  is  related  of  an  ex-officer 
of  the  French  army,  a  Monsieur  Ebbal,  who  kept  "  bachelor's  hall"  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  lake.  "  Some  wags  told  Monsieur  Ebbal,  that  if  chased  by  a  bear,  the  most  certain 
mode  of  escape,  was  to  throw  away  his  hat,  or  his  coat,  to  induce  the  animal  to  stop  and 
•mell  at  it,  and  then  to  profit  by  the  occasion,  and  climb  a  sapling  that  was  too  small  to 
enable  his  enemy  to  fasten  its  claws  in  it,  in  the  way  it  is  known  to  ascend  a  tree.  The 
advice  was  well  enough,  but  the  advised  having  actually  an  occasion  to  follow  it  the  suc- 
ceeding autumn,  scrambled  up  a  sapling  first,  and  began  to  throw  away  his  clothes  after- 
ward. The  bear,  a  she  one  with  cubs,  tore  to  pieces  garment  after  garment,  without  quit- 
ting the  spot,  keeping  poor  Ebbal  treed,  throughout  a  cool  autumnal  night." 

As  an  indication  of  the  intelligence  of  the  inhabitants,  a  newspaper, 
the  "Otsego  Herald,"  was  issued  here  as  early  as  1795.  The  first 
edifice  constructed  for  religious  worship  was  the  Presbyterian,  erected 
on  the  east  side  of  West-street,  in  1805,  and  is  still  occupied  by  that 
denomination.     There  are  now  in  the  village  169  dwellings,  20  stores, 


1 


OTBEOO    COUNTY. 


283 


42  shops,  14  offices,  6  churches,  2  weekly  newspaper  offices,  a  very 
extensive  book  publishing  establishment,  2  female  boarding  schools, 
and  a  bank.  Its  present  population  is  about  1,300.  The  private 
dwellings  of  this  place  are  irtany  of  them  substantial  structures  of 
stone  and  brick,  some  of  which  are  elegant.  The  society  is  refined 
and  intelligent.  This,  with  the  uncommon  beauty  of  the  surrounding 
scenery  and  healthiness  of  the  climate,  will  ere  long  render  it  a  sum- 
mer resort  tor  the  Slite  of  our  large  cities. 

Cherry  Valley,  so  called  by  the  first  settlers  from  its  abundance 
of  wild  cherries,  was  taken  from  Canajoharie  in  1791.  Pop.  3,813. 
Cherry  Valley  village,  upon  the  Cherry  Valley  creek,  incorporated 
in  1812,  lies  13  miles  NE.  from  Cooperstown,  13  S.  from  the  canal 
at  Canajoharie,  and  53  from  Albany.  The  following  view  was  taken 
from  the  residence  of  Joseph  Phelon,  Esq.    The  Presbyterian  church 


'"" ri'iiii 


,'if"™'^;V4i  HI '- :;-!') 


Southwest  view  of  Cherry  Valley. 


I 


is  seen  on  the  left,  and  the  Episcopal  and  Methodist  churches  on  the 
right.  There  is  here  a  bank,  a  weekly  newspaper  office,  an  incor- 
porated academy,  and  about  130  dwellings.  The  following  interest- 
ing account  of  the  first  settlement  of  this  place  is  from  the  valuable 
work  of  Wm.  W.  Campbell,  Esq.,  entitled  "  Annals  of  Tryon  County." 

"  Mr.  Lindesay,  having  obtained  an  assignment  from  the  three  other  patentees  to  himself 
and  Gov.  Clark,  in  1739  caused  the  patent  to  be  surveyed  and  subdivided  into  lots,  aud 
chose  for  himself  the  farm  -afterward  successively  owned  by  Mr.  John  Wells  and  Judge 
Hudson,  and  gave  to  it  the  name  of  Lindesay's  Bush.  In  the  following  summer  he  left 
New  York  with  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and  father-in-law,  Mr.  Congreve,  a  lieu- 
tenant  in  the  British  army,  and  a  few  domestics,  and  settled  upon  his  farm.  He  was  a 
Scotch  gentleman  of  some  fortune  and  distinction,  having  held  several  offices  under  govern- 
ment, and  anticipated  much  pleasure  from  a  residence  in  this  high  and  rolling  country, 
whose  valleys  and  hills,  antl  lakes,  would  constantly  remind  him  of  the  wild  and  romantic 
scenery  of  his  native  land.  A  luxuriant  growth  of  beech  and  maple,  interspersed  with  the 
wild  cherry,  covered  the  valley,  and  extended  along  up  the  sides  of  the  hills,  whose  top* 
were  crowded  with  clusters  of  evergreen ;  elk  and  deer  were  found  here  in  great  number*, 

j=  ..CI-    ..»,»-.   .,*..,«,.  ...,«,„.„,  ..,,..    ,.,«,^  J    ...  rvnfs   «    larviito    :iUtiiitt;;  gr'jui;u  Ul  «:c  ITXW- 

hawks,  who  erected  their  cabins  near  some  little  spring,  and  hunted  their  game  upon  the 


%  V"** 


284 


OTSEQO    COUNTY, 


mountains.  Mr.  Lindesay,  aa  well  as  all  the  early  settlers,  found  it  important  to  cultivat* 
their  friendship ;  he  received  tbem  into  his  house,  and  treated  them  with  such  hospitality  as 
circumstances  would  permit :  this  kindness  was  not  lost  upon  the  high-minded  savages,  one 
of  whom  gave  proof  of  no  ordinary  friendship  during  the  first  winter  after  his  removal  to 
Lindesay's  Bush.  Whatever  of  happiness  and  independence  Mr.  Lindesay  may  have  looked 
forward  to,  he  knew  little  of  the  privations  of  the  settlers  of  a  new  country,  especially  such 
a  country  as  he  had  selected  j  his  farm  was  15  miles  from  any  settlement,  difficult  of  access 
from  that  settlement,  which  was  on  the  Mohawk  river,  by  reason  of  its  elevation  above  it ; 
and  the  interveaing  country  was  traversed  only  by  an  Indian  footpath. 

"In  the  winter  of  1740,  the  snow  fell  to  a  great  depth;  the  paths  were  filled  up;  all 
communication  with  the  settlers  upon  the  Mohawk  was  stopped ;  Mr.  Lindesay  had  not 
made  sufficient  preparation  for  such  a  winter ;  he  had  but  a  scanty  supply  of  provisions ; 
these  were  almost  consumed  long  before  spring :  a  wretched  and  lingering  death  was  in 
prospect  for  him  and  his  family.  At  this  critical  time,  an  Indian  came  to  his  house,  having 
travelled  upon  the  snow  with  snow-shoes ;  when  informed  of  their  situation,  he  readily 
undertook  to  reUeve  them  ;  he  went  to  the  settlements  upon  the  Mohawk,  and  having  pro. 
cured  provisions,  returned  with  them  upon  his  back,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  win- 
ter, this  faithful  child  of  the  forest  thus  continued  to  relieve  them,  and  thus  preserved  the 
lives  of  the  first  inhabitants  of  our  town  and  county. 

"  In  New  York,  Mr.  Lindesay  became  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunlop,  and 
prevailed  upon  him  to  visit  his  patent,  offering  him  a  tract  of  land  of  several  hundred  acres, 
on  condition  that  he  would  settle  upon  it,  and  would  use  his  influence  with  his  friends,  and 
persuade  them  to  accompany  him.  Pleased  witli  the  situation,  and  the  generous  proprietor 
of  the  patent,  he  accepted  of  the  proposal ;  he  was  an  Irishman  by  birth,  but  had  been 
educated  in  Edinburgh ;  had  spent  several  years  in  the  provinces,  having  travelled  over 
most  of  those  at  the  south ;  and  at  the  time  of  his  first  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Lindesay, 
was  on  a  tour  through  those  at  the  north.  He  went  to  Londonderry,  in  New  Hampshire, 
where  several  of  his  countrymen  were  settled,  whom  he  persuaded  to  remove,  and  in  1741, 
David  Ramsay,  William  Gallt,  James  Campbell,  William  Dickson,  and  one  or  two  others, 
with  their  families,  in  all  about  30  persons,  came  and  purchased  farms,  and  immediately 
commenced  making  improvements  upon  them.  They  had  emigrated  from  the  north  of 
Ireland  several  years  anterior  to  their  removal  here ;  some  of  them  were  originally  from 
Scotland ;  they  were  called  Scotch  Irish — a  general  name  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
north  of  Ireland,  many  of  whom  are  of  Scotch  descent ;  hardy  and  industrious,  inured  to 
toil  from  their  infancy,  they  were  well  calculated  to  sustain  the  labors  necessary  in  clearing 
the  forest,  and  fitting  it  for  the  abode  of  civilized  man. 

"  The  following  circumstance  gave  rise  to  its  name.  Mr.  Dunlop,  engaged  in  writing 
■ome  lettere,  inquired  of  Mr.  Lindesay  where  he  should  date  them,  who  proposed  the  name 
of  a  town  in  Scotland  ;  Mr.  Dunlop,  pointing  to  some  fine  wild  cherry-trees,  and  to  the 
valley,  repUed,  •  Let  us  give  our  place  an  appropriate  name,  and  call  it  Cherry  Valley,' 
which  was  readily  agreed  to  ;  it  was  for  a  long  time  the  distinguishing  name  of  a  large 
section  of  country,  south  and  west.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  these  settlers,  measures  were 
taken  for  the  erection  of  a  grist-mill  and  saw-mill,  and  a  building  for  a  school-house  and 
i^urch.  Mr.  Dunlop  left  Ireland  under  an  engagement  of  marriage  vdth  a  young  lady  of 
toat  country,  and  having  made  the  necessary  arrangements  for  his  future  residence  in  Oherry 
Valley,  returned  to  fulfil  it.  This  engagement  was  conditional ;  if  he  did  not  return  in 
seven  years  fiwm  the  time  of  his  departure,  it  should  be  optional  with  her  to  abide  by  or  put 
an  end  to  the  contract ;  the  time  had  almost  expired ;  she  had  heard  nothing jTrom  him  for 
some  time,  and  supposed  him  either  dead  or  unfaithful ;  another  offered,  was  accepted,  and 
the  day  appointed  for  the  marriage.  In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Dunlop  had  been  driven  off  the 
coast  of  Scotland  by  a  storm :  after  a  detention  of  several  days,  he  finally  made  port  in 
Ireland,  and  hastening  on  jiis  journey,  arrived  the  day  previous ,  his  arrival  was  as  joyful 
u  it  was  unexpected  ;  he  was  married,  and  returned  immediately  with  his  wife  to  Cherry 
Valley,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  as  the  first  pastor  of  its  little  church.  A  log-house  had 
been  erected  to  the  north  of  Mr.  Lindesay's,  on  the  declivity  of  the  little  hill  upon  which  his 
house  was  situated ;  where,  though  possessing  little  of  this  worid's  wealth,  they  offered  up 
the  homage  of  devout  and  grateful  hearts.  Most  of  the  adult  inhabitants  were  members  of 
the  church ;  the  clergyman  was  to  receive  ten  shillings  on  the  hundred  acres  of  land ;  a 
mere  pittance,  by  reason  of  the  small  number  of  inhabitants ;  but  he  lived  frugally ;  they 
made  presents  to  him  of  the  productions  of  their  farms,  which,  with  the  avails  of  his  own, 
afforded  him  a  conjpetent  support.  In  these  eariy  days,  an  excellent  state  of  feeling  towarda 
each  other  prevailed ;  common  danger,  and  common  interest,  united  them.  In  their  wor. 
Mip  auu  uuBervBupes  they  were  very  strict.  Dur^pg  the  ten  subsequent  years,  not  more 
than  thr«9  or  fojif  families  had  come  into  the  spfttpment.    Among  them  was  Mr.  John 


OT8B6C    COUNTY. 


285 


Welb,  grandfather  of  the  late  John  WeUs  of  New  York  city.  He  iIm  was  an  Iriihman, 
and  became  a  resident  in  1743,  and  in  '44  purchased  the  farm,  which  Mr.  Lindeeay  had 
■elected  for  himself,  and  >'pon  which  he  resided. 

"Mr.  Lindesay  was  unacquainted  with  practical  farming,  and  his  property  had  been  ex. 
pended  to  Uttie  advantage ;  after  struggling  several  years,  he  was  compelled  to  abandon 
his  enterprise.  The  war  between  France  and  Great  Britain  had  been,  in  part,  transferred 
to  America,  and  in  1744,  our  northern  frontier  was  threatened  with  an  attack  by  the  French 
and  Indians.  Reinforcements  were  ordered  to  Oswego,  and  among  them,  the  company  of 
Independent  Greens,  in  which  Mr.  Congreve  was  a  lieutenant;  he  resigned  his  commission 
in  favor  of  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Lindesay,  who,  having  spent  several  years  in  the  service, 
died  in  New  York,  leaving  no  children.  Mr.  Wells,  a  man  of  amiable  disposition,  and  of 
great  integrity,  before  there  was  any  officer  of  justice,  was  frequently  appealed  to  as  the 
arbiter  of  any  little  difference ;  he  was  afterward  appointed  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  for 
the  town,  and  one  of  the  judges  of  Tryon  county,  which  offices  he  continued  to  exercise 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  a  little  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  revolution. 

"Mr.  Dunlop,  having  received  a  classical  education,  opened  a  school  for  the  instruction 
of  boys,  who  came  from  the  settlements  upon  the  Mohawk,  and  from  Schenectady  and 
Albany.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  this  was  the  first  grammar  school  in  the  state  west 
of  Albany.  The  boys  were  received  into  his  house,  and  constituted  a  part  of  his  family. 
The  extreme  simplicity  of  the  times  may  be  learned  from  the  fact,  that  they  often  went  into 
the  fields,  and  there  recited  their  lessons  as  they  followed  their  instructor  about,  while  en. 
gaged  in  his  usual  avocations  upon  his  farm ;  several  individuals  along  'he  Mohawk,  who 
were  afterward  conspicuous  in  the  revolution,  thus  received  the  first  rudiments  of  their 
education." 

On  the  11th  of  Nov.,  1778,  the  Indians  and  tories,  about  700  in 
number,  under  the  command  of  Joseph  Brant  and  Walter  Butler,  made 
a  descent  upon  this  beautiful  valley,  laid  the  settlement  in  ashes,  and 
massacred  32  of  the  inhabitants,  mostly  women  and  children.  During 
the  day  they  made  several  attacks  on  the  fort,  but  without  success. 
The  following  is  extracted  from  the  «♦  Annals  of  Tryon  county." 

"  The  inhabitants,  many  of  whom  had  left  in  the  summer,  in  consequence  of  the  repeated 
attacks  of  the  Indians  upon  the  frontiers,  had  now  returned  to  their  homes,  thinking  the 
season  so  far  advanced,  that  no  danger  need  be  apprehended.  On  the  information  above 
being  given  to  Col.  Alden,  they  requested  permission  to  remove  into  the  fort,  or  at  least  to 
deposit  their  most  valuable  property  there.  Both  requests  were  denied  by  Col.  Alden.  He 
replied,  that  it  would  be  a  temptation  to  his  soldiers  to  plunder ;  that  the  report  was  proba. 
bly  unfounded ;  that  it  was  only  an  Indian  story,  and  that  he  would  keep  out  scouts,  who 
would  apprise  them  in  season  to  secure  themselves,  in  case  of  real  danger.  Scouts  were 
accordingly  sent  out,  to  traverse  the  country  m  every  direction.  The  scout  sent  down  the 
Susquehannah  kindled  up  a  fire  on  the  night  of  the  9th,  and  all  very  foolishly  lay  down  to 
sleep.  The  fire  was  discovered  by  the  enemy,  and  a  httle  before  daylight  on  the  morning 
of  the  10th,  they  were  all  surrounded  and  taken. 

"  On  the  night  of  the  10th,  the  enemy  encamped  on  the  top  of  a  hill  thickly  covered  with 
evergreens,  about  a  mile  southwest  from  the  fort.  On  the  morning  of  the  11th,  the  enemy 
moved  from  his  encampment  towards  the  fort.  They  had  learned  from  the  scout  which 
they  had  taken,  that  the  officers  of  the  garrison  lodged  in  difierent  private  houses  out  of  the 
fort ;  their  forces  were  so  disposed  that  a  party  should  surround  every  house  in  which  an 
officer  lodged  nearly  at  the  same  time,  while  the  main  body  would  attack  the  fort.  During 
the  night  the  snow  fell  several  inches.  In  the  morning  it  turned  to  rain,  and  the  atmos. 
phere  was  thick  and  hazy.  .The  whole  settlement  thought  themselves  secure.  The  aaaur. 
ances  of  Col.  Alden  had  in  a  considerable  degree  quieted  their  fears.  Every  thmg  favored 
the  approach  of  the  enemy  undiscovered.  Col.  Alden  and  Lieut.  Col.  Stacia,  with  a  small 
guard,  lodged  at  Mr.  Wells's.  A  Mr.  Hamble  was  coming  up  that  morning  from  his  house 
several  miles  below,  on  horseback ;  when  a  short  distance  from  Mr.  WeUs's  house  he  was 
fired  upon  and  wounded  by  the  Indians.  He  rode  in  great  haste  to  inform  Col.  Alden  of 
their  approach,  and  then  hastened  to  the  fort.  Still  incredulous,  and  beUeving  them  to  be 
only  a  straggling  party,  he  ordered  the  guard  to  be  called  in.  The  delay  of  a  few  minutes 
gave  the  Indians  time  to  arrive.  The  rangers  had  stopped  to  examine  their  firelocks,  the 
powder  in  which  having  been  wet  with  the  rain.  The  Indians  improving  this  opportunity, 
rushed  by.  The  advance  body  was  composed  principally  of  Senecas,  at  that  time  'he  wild, 
eat  and  most  ferocious  of  the  Six  Nations.    Col.  Alden  made  hia  escape  from  the  house, 


286 


/ 


OTSEGIO   COUNTY. 


and  was  pursued  down  the  hill,  towards  the  fort,  by  an  Indian ;  when  challenged  to  8urren> 
der,  he  peremptorily  refused  so  to  do ;  several  times  he  turned  round  and  snapped  his  pistol 
at  the  Indian ;  the  latter,  after  pursuing  some  distance,  threw  his  tomahawk,  and  struck 
hi'n  on  the  heod,  and  then  rushing  up,  scalped  him.  He  thus  *  was  one  of  the  first  victims 
of  this  most  criminal  neglect  of  duty.'  Lieut.  Col.  Stacia  was  taken  prisoner.  The  guard 
wore  all  killed  or  taken. 

"  The  Senecas,  who  first  arrived  at  the  house,  with  some  tories,  commenced  an  indis. 
criminate  massacre  of  the  family,  and  before  the  rangers  arrived,  had  barbarously  murdered 
them  all,  including  Robert  Wells,  his  mother,  and  wife,  and  four  children,  his  brother  and 
sister,  John  and  Jane,  with  three  domestics.  Of  this  interesting  and  excellent  family,  not 
one  escaped,  except  the  late  John  Wells  of  New  York  city.  His  father  had  left  hun  in 
Schenectady  the  previous  summer  with  an  aunt,  that  he  might  attend  the  grammar-school 
there.  He  might  almost  have  exclaimed  with  Logan,  that  not  a  drop  of  his  blood  ran  in 
the  veins  of  any  human  being ;  or  as  it  has  been  beautifully  expressed  by  an  eminent  £ng> 
liah  poet, 

"  They  '  left  of  all  my  tribe 
Nor  man,  nor  child,  nor  thing  of  living  birth. 
No !  not  the  dog  that  watched  my  household  hearth 
Escaped, — that '  morn'  of  blood  upon  our  plain* 
All  perished !    I  alone  am  left  on  earth  I 
To  whom  nor  relative  nor  blood  remains. 
No !  not  a  kindred  drop  that,  runs  '\i\  human  veins.' 

*•  A  tory  boasted  that  he  killed  Mr.  Wells  while-  at  prayer.  The  melancholy  fate  of 
Jane  Wells  deserves  a  more  particular  notic0,  She  was  a  young  lady,  not  distinguished 
for  her  personal  beauty,  but  endeared  to  her  friends  by  her  amiable  disposition,  and  her 
Christian  charities.  One  •  in  whom  the  friendless  found  a  friend,'  and  to  whom  the  poor 
would  always  say,  *  God  speed  thee.'  She  fled  from  the  house  to  a  pile  of  wood  near  by, 
behind  which  she  endeavored  to  screen  herself.  Here  she  was  pursued  by  an  Indian,  who, 
as  he  approached,  deliberately  wiped  his  bloody  knife  upon  his  leggins,  and  then  placed  it 
in  its  sheath  :  then  drawing  his  tomahawk,  he  seized  her  by  the  arm ;  she  possessed  some 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  language,  and  remonstrated  and  supplicated,  though  in  vain. 
Peter  Smith,  a  tory,  who  had  formerly  been  a  domestic  in  Mr.  Wells's  family,  now  inter, 
posed,  saying  she  was  his  sister,  and  desiring  him  to  spare  her  life.  He  shook  his  toma. 
hawk  at  him  in  defiance,  and  then  turning  round,  with  one  blow  smote  her  to  the  earth. 
John  Wells,  Esq.,  at  this  time  deceased,  and  the  father  of  Robert  Wells,  had  been  one  of 
the  judges  of  the  courts  of  Tryon  county ;  in  that  capacity,  and  as  one  of  the  justices  of  the 
quorum,  he  had  been  on  intimate  terms  with  Sir  William  Johnson  and  family,  who  fre. 
quently  visited  at  his  house,  and  also  with  Col.  John  Butler,  likewise  a  judge.  The  family 
wore  r(t  active  either  for  or  against  the  country ;  they  wished  to  remain  neutral,  so  far  aa 
they  could,  in  such  turbulent  times ;  they  always  performed  military  duty,  when  called  out 
to  defend  the  country.  Ccl.  John  Butler,  in  a  conversation  relative  to  them,  remarked — '  I 
would  have  gone  miles  on  my  hands  and  knees  to  have  saved  that  family,  and  why  my  son 
did  not  do  it,  God  only  knows.' 

"  Another  party  of  Indians  surrounded  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunlop,  whom  we 
have  frequently  had  occasion  to  mention,  as  the  pioneer  in  education  in  western  New 
York.  His  wife  was  immediately  killed.  The  old  gentleman  and  his  daughter  were  pre- 
served  by  Little  Aaron,  a  chief  of  the  Oquago  branch  of  the  Mohawks.  Mrs.  Wells  was 
also  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Dunlop ;  Little  Aaron  led  him  out  from  the  house,  tottering  with 
age,  and  stood  beside  him  to  protect  him.  An  Indian  passing  by,  pulled  his  hat  from  his 
head,  and  ran  away  with  it ;  the  chief  pursued  him,  and  regained  it ;  on  his  return,  another 
Indian  had  carried  away  his  wig :  the  rain  was  falling  upon  his  bare  head,  while  his  whole 
system  shook  like  an  aspen,  under  the  combined  iiifluence  of  age,  fear,  and  cold.  He  was 
released  a  few  day<i  after ;  but  the  shock  was  too  violent ;  he  died  about  a  year  after :  his 
death  was  hastened  by  his  misfortunes,  though  he  could  have  home  up  but  a  few  years 
longer  under  the  increasing  infirmities  of  old  age. 

"  A  Mr.  Mitchell,  who  was  in  his  field,  beheld  a  party  of  Indians  approaching ;  he  could 
not  gain  his  house,  and  was  obliged  to  flee  to  the  woods.  Here  he  evaded  pursuit  and 
escaped.  A  melancholy  spectacle  presented  itself  on  his  return — it  was  the  corpses  of  his 
wife  and  four  children,  His  house  had  been  plundered  and  set  on  fire.  He  extinguished 
the  fire,  and  by  examination  found  life  still  existing  in  one  of  his  children,  a  Uttle  giri  ten 
or  twelve  years  of  age.  He  raised  her  up  and  placed  her  in  the  door,  and  was  bending 
over  her  when  he  saw  another  puiy  apptoucliiuij.  lie  Lad  burely  ltm6  to  hide  iumiielf 
behind  a  Iug.fence  near  by,  before  they  were  at  ihe  house.    From  this  hiding-place,  he 


X 


PUTNAM  COUNTY. 


i 


287 


beheld  an  infamoiu  tory  by  the  name  of  Newbury,  extingrnish  the  little  apark  oflife  which 
remained  m  hia  child,  with  a  blow  of  his  hatchet.  The  next  day,  without  a  aingle  human 
beingr  to  awiat  him,  he  carried  the  remains  of  his  family  down  to  the  fort  on  a  aled,  and 
there  the  aoldiera  aided  him  in  depositing  them  in  a  common  grave.  Retributive  juxtice 
sometimes  follows  close  upon  the  heels  of  crime.  This  tory  was  arrested,  as  a  spy,  ths 
following  summer,  by  order  of  Gen.  James  Clinton,  when  he  lay  with  his  army  at  Canajo- 
harie,  on  the  Mohawk  river.  Mr.  Mitchell  was  called  to  prove  this  act.  He  was  found 
guilty  by  a  court-martial,  and  with  a  companion,  suffered  an  ignominious  death. 

"  The  party  which  surrounded  the  house  of  Col.  Campbell,  took  Mre.  Campbell  and  four 
children  prisoners.  Mr.  Campbell  was  absent  from  home,  but  hastened  there  on  the  first 
alarm,  which  was  a  cannon  fired  at  the  fort.  He  arrived  only  in  time  to  witness  the  de- 
struction of  his  property,  and  not  even  to  learn  the  fate  of  his  family  ;  their  lives  were 
spared,  but  spared  for  a  long  and  dreadful  captivity. 

"  Many  others  were  killed  ;  some  few  escaped  to  the  Mohawk  river,  and  the  remainder 
were  made  prisoners.  Thirty-two  of  the  inhabitants,  principally  women  and  children,  were 
killed,  and  sixteen  continental  soldiers.  The  terror  of  the  scene  was  increased  by  the  con- 
flagration of  all  the  houses  and  out-houses  in  the  settlement ;  the  barns  were  many  of  them 
filled  with  hay  and  grain.  He  who  fled  to  the  mountains,  saw  as  he  looked  back  the  de- 
struction of  his  home,  and  of  that  little  all  which  he  had  labored  for  years  to  accumulate. 

"•  •  •  •  The  whole  settlement  exhibited  an  aspect  of  entire  and  complete  desolation.  The 
cocks  crew  from  the  tope  of  the  forest  trees,  and  the  dogs  howled  through  the  fields  and 
woods.  The  inhabitants  who  escaped,  with  the  prisoners  who  were  set  at  liberty,  aban- 
doned the  settlement." 


PUTNAM  COUNTY. 

PuTprxM  COUNTY  was  taken  from  Dutchess  in  1812  ;  greatest  length 
21,  greatest  breadth  12  miles.  The  Highlands  extend  across  the 
western  part.  The  highest  point  is  about  1,580  feet  above  the  Hud- 
son. The  remainder  of  the  county,  though  generally  uneven,  has 
some  handsome  plains,  with  a  soil  various,  and  some  of  it  fertile. 
The  mountains  abound  with  iron  ore  of  good  quality.  Butter,  beef, 
wool,  calves,  lambs,  sheep,  fowls,  and  the  many  other  species  of 
"  marketing,"  are  produced  here  in  great  quantities  for  the  New  York 
market,  and  their  returns  are  rapidly  enriching  the  producer.  The 
evidences  of  prosperity  are  everywhere  visible.  Within  a  few  years 
the  lands  have  doubled  in  value  and  price.  The  county  is  watered 
easterly  and  centrally  by  the  main  branches  of  the  Croton.  It  is  di- 
vided into  six  towns,  viz. : 


Carmel, 
Kent, 


Paterson, 
Philipstown, 


Putnam  Valley, 
South  East. 


Carmel,  the  county  seat,  is  106  miles  S.  from  Albany,  contains  the 
countjr  buildings,  2  churches,  an  academy,  and  about  40  dwellings. 
The  village  of  Cold  Spring,  20  miles  W.  of  Carmel,  and  about  a  mile 
above  West  Point,  contains  about  170  dwellings  and  5  churches. 

The  West  Point  foundry  is  situated  about  three  fourths  of  a  mile 
SE.  from  the  village  of  Cold  Spring.  It  was  established  in  1816, 
and  is  at  present  the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  Union. 

The  establishment  employs  400  men,  and  is  divided  into  the  following  branches,  with  a 
foreman  at  the  head  of  each  branch,  viz. :  an  iron  foundry,  a  brass  foundry,  pattern,  smiths', 


388 


PUTNAM   COUNTY. 


machine,  and  boiler  BhopR.  There  are  attached  to  the  fonndry,  3  air  furnaces,  3  cupolai. 
In  the  smiths'  shop  there  is  1  trip-hanimer  of  seven  tons  weight,  and  2  tilt-hammen, — one 
of  1,000,  and  the  other  of  500  lbs.  Shafts  of  19  inches  diameter  have  been  forged  here, 
weighing  12  tons,  and  they  are  prepared  to  forge  shafts  of  2  feet  diameter.  The  machine 
shop  contains  28  turning  lathes,  and  3  planing  machines  for  iron.  The  consumption  of  the 
principal  materials  was  as  follows  during  the  year  1840.  Pig  iron,  $140,000;  coal, 
$33,000;  bar  iron,  $29,000;  boileriron  plate,  $14,500;  copper,  $44,640 ;  total  $261,140. 
The  principal  articles  manufactured  during  that  time  were  water  pipes  for  the  Croton  water 
works ;  steam  engines  and  sugar  mills  for  the  West  Indies ;  steam  engines  and  cotton 
presses  for  the  southern  states ;  ilour  millj  with  2  water  wheels  and  8  run  of  burr  atones,  for 
Austria ;  flour  mill  and  3  run  of  stones  for  Halifax,  N.  B. ;  engines,  boilers,  &c.,  for  the 
steam  frigate  Miwouri;  heavy  wrought  iron  work  for  the  steam  frigate  Mississippi.  Steam 
engines  onu  boilers,  both  high  and  low  pressure,  are  manufactured  likewise ;  flour,  rice, 
sugar,  oil,  and  saw-mills,  sugar  kettlbs,  cotton  presses,  hydrostatic  cylinders,  brass  and  iron 
cannon,  bells,  shot  and  shells,  heavy  and  Ught  forged  work ;  castings  of  all  sizes,  either  of 
oomposition  or  iron. 


The  Robinson  House. 

This  dwelling,  named  after  the  unfortunate  owner,  Col.  Beverly 
Robinson,  is  romantically  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson, 
about  two  miles  below  West  Point,  near  the  base  of  the  "  Sugar 
Loaf,"  one  of  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Highlands.  Dr.  Dwight,  who 
in  the  year  1778  spent  several  months  at  West  Point,  has  given  the 
annexed  account  of  this  dwelling  and  its  original  possessor. 

"  A  part  of  this  time  I  resided  at  the  head-quarters  of  General  Putnam,  then  command, 
ing  at  this  post ;  and  afterward  of  General  Parsons,  who  succeeded  him  in  the  command. 
These  gentlemen  lodged  in  the  house  of  Col.  Beverly  Robinson ;  a  respectable  native  of 
Scotland,  who  married  a  lady  of  the  Phillips  family,  one  of  the  wealthiest,  and  most  re. 
■pectable  of  the  province  of  New  York.  With  this  lady  Col.  Robinson  acquired  a  large 
landed  estate  lying  in  Phillipstown,  Fredericktown,  and  Franklin,  as  they  are  now  called; 
and  for  the  more  convenient  management  of  it  planted  himself  in  this  spot.  Here  he  had  a 
spacious  and  convenient  mansion,  surrounded  by  valuable  gardens,  fleldH,  and  orchards, 
yielding  every  thing  which  will  grow  in  this  climate.  The  rents  of  his  estate  were  suffi. 
cient  to  make  life  as  agreeable  as  from  this  source  it  can  be.  Mrs.  Robinson  was  a  fine 
woman ;  and  their  children  promised  every  thing  which  can  be  expected  from  a  very  hope, 
ful  family.  His  immediate  friends  were,  at  the  same  time,  persons  of  the  first  consequence 
in  the  province. 

"  When  the  revolutionary  war  broke  out.  Col.  Robinson  was  induced,  contrary  as  I  have 
beeii  informed  to  his  own  judgment  and  inclination,  by  the  importunity  of  some  of  his  con. 
nectiors  to  take  the  British  side  of  the  question.  To  him  it  appeared  wiser  and  safer  to 
act  a  neutral  part,  and  remain  quietly  on  his  estate.  The  pressure,  however,  from  various 
eources  was  so  strong  again?-,  him,  that  he  finally  jrioided,  and  carried  hiti  faknily  wjtJi  him 
to  New  York,  and  thence  lo  Great  Britain.    Hii  property  waa  oonfiacated  by  the  legisla. 


PUTNAM   COUNTY. 


389 


ture  of  Now  York,  and  hia  family  banished  from  their  native  country.    It  was  imooHibla 
for  any  perron,  who  finds  an  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  feliow-men,  and  particularlywWU 

'^^'y^'H  f  1  :;«^,'nT°"  7"""  ^^y.  ^^  ■"  '"'^'y  ""J^y*"*  »»  *hich  this  worW  cm 
g^ye,  not  to  feel  deeply  the  rawfortunes  of  this  family.  Few  events  in  human  life  strike  tha 
mind  more  pamfuUy  than  banishment;  a  calamity  sufficiently  disastrous  in  the  moM 
ordinary  circumstances,  but  peculiarly  affecUng  when  the  banished  are  brought  before  m 
m  the  narrow  circle  of  a  family;  a  circle,  the  whole  of  which  the  eye  can  see,  and  whoM 
suffenngs  the  heart  can  perfectly  realize.  Peculiarly  is  this  true,  when  the  family  in  ques. 
tion  18  enlightened,  polished,  amply  possessed  of  enjoyments,  tasting  them  with  moderation, 
and  sharing  them  cheerfully  with  their  friends  and  neighbors,  the  stranger  and  the  poor." 
When  Arnold  had  obtained  the  command  of  West  Point  in  Aiiff 
1780,  he  established  his  head-quarters  at  "Beverly,"  where  was  me- 
ditated that  act  of  treachery  which  has  stamped  his  memory  with 
everlastmg  mfamy.  At  the  time  the  news  of  the  capture  of 'Andre 
was  received  by  Arnold,  General  Washington  and  his  officers,  together 
with  the  traitor,  were  seated  at  breakfast,  in  the  lower  room,  to  the 
left  of  the  small  tree  seen  near  the  centre  of  the  engraving. 

The  annexed,  from  the  pen  of  a  late  visiter,  is  extracted  from  the 
Knickerbocker  for  Sept.,  1840. 

"  The  commander-in-chief,  at  the  time  of  the  capture,  vas  on  his  way  from  Hartford,  and 
^' uTm^u  '""!*  T,'"«'>,'»«  •>»**  fin«  proposed,  came  by  the  way  of  West  Point.  At 
FishkiU  he  met  the  French  rmnister,  M.  de  la  Luzerne,  who  had  been  to  visit  Count 
Rochambeau  at  Newport,  and  he  remained  that  night  with  the  minister.  Very  early  next 
morning  he  sent  off  his  luggage,  with  orders  to  the  men  to  go  with  it  as  quickly  as  poasible 
to  Beverly,'  and  give  Mrs.  Arnold  notice  that  he  would  be  there  at  breakfast.  When  the 
general  and  his  suite  arrived  opposite  West  Point,  he  was  observed  to  turn  his  'loree  into 
a  narrow  road  that  led  (o  the  river.  La  Fayette  remarked,  •  General,  you  are  goinir  in  a 
wrong  direction ;  you  know  Mrs.  Arnold  is  wtsiting  breakfast  for  us.'  Washington  good, 
naturedly  remarked :  'Ah,  I  know  you  young  men  are  all  in  love  with  Mrs.  Arnold,  and 
wish  to  get  virhere  she  is  as  soon  as  possible.  You  may  go  and  take  your  breakfast  with 
her,  and  tell  her  not  to  wait  for  me :  I  must  ride  down  and  examine  the  redoubts  on  this 
Bide  of  the  nver.'  The  officers,  however,  with  the  exception  of  two  of  the  aids,  remained. 
When  the  aids  amved  at  ♦  Beverly,'*  they  found  the  family  waiting;  and  having  commu. 
nicated  the  message  of  General  Washington,  Arnold,  with  his  family  and  the  two  aids,  sat 
down  to  breakfast.  Before  they  had  finished,  a  messenger  arrived  in  great  haste,  and 
handed  General  Arnold  a  letter,  which  he  read  with  deep  and  evident  emotion. 

"The  self-control  of  the  soldier  enabled  Arnold  to  suppress  the  agony  he  endured  after 
reading  this  letter.  He  rose  hastily  from  the  table ;  told  the  aids  that  his  immediate  pre. 
sence  was  reqmred  at  West  Point ;  and  desired  them  so  to  inform  General  V/ashington. 
when  he  amved.  Having  first  ordered  a  horse  to  be  ready,  he  hastened  to  Mra.  Arnold*!! 
chamber,  and  there,  with  a  bursting  heart,  disclosed  to  her  his  dreadful  position,  and  that 
they  must  part,  perhaps  for  ever.t  Struck  with  horror  at  the  painful  intelligence,  this  fond 
and  devoted  wi.e  swooned,  and  fell  senselesfi  at  his  feet.  In  this  state  he  left  her,  hurried 
down  stairs,  and  mounting  his  horse,  rode  with  all  possible  speed  to  the  river.  In  doing 
so,  Arnold  did  not  keep  the  main  road,  but  passed  down  the  mountain,  pursuing  a  by.path 
through  the  woods,  which  Lieutenant  Arden  pointed  out,  and  which  is  now  called  *  Anwld'a 
fath.'  Near  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  where  the  path  approaches  the  main  road,  a  weep, 
ing  willow,  plant«;d  there  no  doubt  by  some  patriot  hand,  stands,  in  marked  contrast  with 
the  forest  trees  which  encircle  and  surround  it,  to  point  out  to  the  inquiring  tourist  the  verv 
pathway  of  the  traitor.  '  ' 


•  The  property  now  belongs  to  Richard  D.  Arden,  Esq.,  and  adjoins  his  own  romantio 
and  beautiful  "  Ardenia,"  whence  no  "visiter"  departs,  who  can  ever  forget  the  generous 

Highland  welcome."  Mr.  Arden,  with  a  true  patriotism  that  does  him  honor,  has  per- 
muted  no  alteration  of  the  interior  of  the  Kfeuse.  The  same  low  ceiling,  large  and  uncov- 
ered joists,  the  same  polished  tiles  around  the  fire-places,  and  the  absence  of  all  ornament 
which  marks  the  progress  of  modem  architecture,  preserve  complete  the  interest  which 

+  «r""?  '"'^i'^.®"^  ?f  ''i^'  period  have  flung  around  the  "  Robinson  House." 

T  -Ve  also  visited  this  ciiambcr,  which  remains  unaltered.  Over  the  mantel  is  carved  in 
the  wood  work :  "  G.  Wallis,  Lieut.  VI.  Maaa.  Segt." 

37 


290 


t 

/ 


QUEENS  COVNTT. 


"  la  onr  intereating  viait,  we  were  acooinpanied  by  the  ropermtendent,  M^or  Dela- 
field,  and  iu  the  bargee  kindly  ordered  for  our  acoommodation,  we  were  rowed  to  '  BeTerly 
Dock,'  and  landed  at  the  spot  where  Arnold  took  boat  to  aid  hie  eaeape.  He  waa  rowed 
to  the  '  Valture,'  and  uting  a  white  handkerchief,  created  the  impreMion  that  it  waa  a 
flaf-boat :  it  wae  therefore  suffered  to  paaa.  He  made  hinuelf  known  to  Captain  Suther- 
land)  of  the  Vulture,  and  then  calling  on  board  the  leader  of  the  boatmen  who  had  rowed 
him  off,  informed  him  that  ho  and  hia  crew  were  all  priaonera  of  war.  Tbia  diagraoeful 
and  moat  unmanly  appendix  to  hia  treaaon,  waa  conoidered  ao  contemptible  by  the  oaptaint 
that  he  permitted  the  man  to  go  on  ahore,  on  hia  parole  of  honor,  to  procure  clothea  for 
himaelf  and  comradea.  Thia  he  did,  and  returned  the  aame  day.  When  they  arrived  in 
New  York,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  holding  in  juat  contempt  auch  a  wanton  act  of  meanneaa, 
iet  them  all  at  liberty. 

"  When  General  Waahington  reached  '  Beverly,'  and  waa  informed  that  Arnold  had 
departed  for  Weat  Point,  he  croaaed  directly  over,  expecting  to  find  him.  Surpriaed  to 
learn  that  he  had  not  been  there,  after  examining  the  worka  he  returned.  General  Ham- 
ilton had  remained  at  '  Beverly,'  and  aa  Washington  and  hia  auite  were  walking  up  the 
mountain  road,  from  ■  Beverly  Dock,'  they  met  General  Hamilton,  with  anxioua  face  and 
hurried  step,  coming  towards  them.  A  brief  and  suppreaaed  conversation  took  place  be- 
tween Waahington  and  himaelf,  and  thev  passed  on  rapidly  to  the  houae,  where  the  papers 
that  Waahington'a  change  of  route  had  prevented  his  receiving,  had  been  delivered  that 
morning  ;  and  being  represented  to  Hamilton  aa  of  great  and  preasing  importance,  were 
by  him  opened,  ana  the  dreadful  aecret  disclosed.  Instant  measures  were  adopted  to  in- 
tercept Arnold,  and  prevent  hia  escape,  but  in  vain.  General  Washington  then  commu- 
nicated the  facta  to  La  Fayette  and  Knox,  and  said  to  the  former, '  more  in  sorrow  than 
in  auger,' '  Whom  can  we  truit  now  ?'  He  also  went  up  to  see  Mrs.  Arnold  ;  but  even 
Waahing^ton  could  carry  to  her  no  conjolation.  Her  grief  waa  almost  phrensied  ;  and  in 
ita  wildest  mooda,  ahe  apoke  of  General  Washington  as  the  murderer  of  her  child.  It 
seemed  that  she'htkd  not  the  remotest  idea  of  her  husband's  treaaon ;  and  she  had  even  school- 
ed her  heart  to  feel  more  for  the  cuuse  of  America,  from  her  regard  for  those  who  pro- 
fessed to  love  it  Her  husband's  glory  was  her  dream  of  bliss — the  requiem  chant  for  her 
bfant'a  repose ;  and  she  was  found,  alas !  as  many  a  confiding  heart  has  oft  been  found, 

\  '  To  cling  like  ivy  round  a  worthless  thing.' " 

■1. 


i 


QUEENS  COUNTY. 


•i 


Queens  county,  an  original  county,  was  organized  in  1683,  and 
ow  contains  all  that  part  of  Long  Island  which  is  bounded  easterly 
by  Suffolk  county,  southerly  by  the  Atlantic  ocean,  northerly  by  Long 
Island  sound,  and  westerly  by  Kings  county,  including  Lloyds  Neck 
or  Queens  Village,  the  islands  called  North  and  South  Brother,  Hi- 
ker's Island,  and  some  other  islands  lying  in  the  sound  opposite  the 
said  bounds  and  southerly  of  the  main  channel.  The  courts  of  the 
county  were  originally  hoiden  for  the  most  part  at  Hempstead,  at 
which  place  the  governor  on  various  occasions  ordered  meetings  of  the 
delegates  from  the  different  towns.  By  the  act  of  the  Assembly  in 
1683,  by  which  the  counties  and  towns  upon  Long  Island  were  organ- 
ized and  established,  the  county  courts  were  required  thereafter  to  be 
held  at  the  village  of  Jamaica.  ThQ»y  were  held  there  for  about  seven 
years  in  the  old  stone  church  which  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  present 
Fulton  street,  opposite  Union  Hall  street.  In  the  year  1690,  a  court-' 
house  and  jail  were  erected  upon  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  female 
academy,  and  contiimed  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  holding  the 


) 


QDBKNB   COUNTY 


A 


201 


courts  of  the  county  until  the  present  courthouse  wa»  built  upon  the 
north  side  of  Hempstead  plains,  in  the  town  of  North  Hempstead,  in 
the  year  1788.    The  county  is  divided  into  6  towns  : 


Flushing,  Jamaica,  Newtown, 

Hempstead,  North  Hempstead,        Oyster  Bay. 


■>ii^-^ 


Central  part  of  Jamaica  Village,  Long  J^land. 

The  village  of  Jamaica  is  a  beautiful  place.  It  is  located  upon  the 
Long  Island  railroad,  13  miles  from  New  York,  also  upon  the  great 
thoroughfare  from  Brooklyn  to  the  east  end  of  Long  Island,  and  en- 
joys every  desirable  facility  of  intercourse  with  the  surrounding  coun- 
tnr.  Here  are  concentrated  the  different  roads  leading  to  Brooklyn, 
Williamsburg,  Rockaway,  Fishing,  Jericho,  and  Hempstead.  This 
village  was  made  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  northrriding  of  Yorkshire, 
at  its  organization  in  1665 ;  and  so  continued  after  the  division  of  Long 
Island  into  counties  in  1683,  until  the  erection  of  the  courthouse  on 
Hempstead  plains  in  1788.  The  offices  of  surrogate  and  county  clerk 
are  still  required  to  be  kept  here,  and  for  which  a  suitable  building  has 
been  erected.  The  village  was  incorporated  April  15,  1814,  and  has 
been  gradually  increasing  in  buildings  and  population,  till  it  now  con- 
tains about  two  hundred  dwellings  and  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants.  It 
has,  besides  the  academies,  five  places  for  public  worship,  and  two  news- 
paper printing  offices.  There  are  several  splendid  private  residences 
in  the  village  and  its  immediate  vicinity,  erected  by  gentlemen  of  the 
city  of  New  York,  who  find  it  both  convenient  and  agreeable. 

Flushing  village,  recently  incorporated,  contains  about  2000  inhabit- 
ants in  a  square  mile.  Its  various  attractions,  with  great  facility  of 
communication  with  New  York,  have  induced  many  wealthy  citizens 
to  locate  in  its  immediate  neighborhood.    Some  oi  the  private  resi- 

n^.ncMH  «rA  pmnTur  tno  mnof  imnftBinrr  nnA  snlonAiA  AHifi/<Ao  »r»  tVia  etafa 

The  village  of  Flushing  lies  at  the  head  of  Flushing  Bay,  5  miles  from 


898 


/ 


qUBINB   COUNTY. 


the  sound,  by  water,  9  niilea  from  the  centre  of  New  York,  and  con- 
taina  a  number  of  flourishmg  hterary  institutions  for  both  sexes.  This 
place  js  also  distinguished  for  its  oxcollcnt  nursorios  of  fruit  and  other 
weei.     iho  villaffo  of  Astoria,  recently  incorporated,  is  situated  on  tiio 

-  u  r^'J'";."''*';,    '^f'''^"  '»  ''''•'"^-    This  place  was  formerly  called 
Haliets  Cove.      Near  Rockaway,  a  small  village,  is  5  miles  SW. 
ot  Hempstead.     "  Far /Jot-Aatowy/ about  29  miles  from  New  York. 
Has  grown  into  importance  as  a  fashionable  watering  place. 


Bowne  Mansion-house,  Flushing,  L.  I. 

,,.23  ^"^  "*!'i  '"  Z''®  annexed  view  is  the  Bowne  mansion-house,  sit- 
-tto^KT?    A^  elevated  ground  about  half  a  mile  eastward  of  the 
«oJi^^'*l'*"'*'"«i"'  ^''J^  »"§• .  I^  »  believed  to  be  the  oldest  house 
now  standing  on  Long  Island,  having  been  erected  in  1601,  by  John 
Bowne,  of  the  society  of  Friends,     ffesides  the  antiquity  uf  Ihe  build- 
ng.  It  IS  one  of  much  historic  interest.    The  celebrated  George  Fox, 
the  founder  of  the  society  of  Friends,  has  lodged  within  the  walls  of 
this  house,  which  was  the  place  for  the  yearly  meeting  for  the  whole 
body  of  Friends  m  the  province  of  New  York,  previoui  to  1690.    On 
ttie  lett  ot  Uie  engraving,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  from  the 
house,  are  seen  two  ancient  oaks,  under  which  Fox  preached  when  in 
this  country  ,n  1672.     Although  differing  in  some  of  his  tenets  from 
the  majority  of  those  professing  the  Christian  name,  George  Fox  had 
the  martyr  spint  within,  and,  had  he  been  called  to  the  trial,  would 
doubtless  have  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  blood.     His  sufferings  in 
the  cause  of  religious  freedom  entitle  him  to  the  gratitude  of  mankind. 
Men  ot  his  stamp  are  the  true  patriots  and  genuine  nobility  of  the  hu- 
man i-ace.     "A  nobler  object,*  says  an  eloquent  writer,  ''no  human 
or  angelic  mind  could  ever  propose  to  itself,  than  to  promote  the  glory 
ot  the  great  Governor  of  the  universe,  in  studying  and  laboring  to  dif- 
—  fVM.y  p"«  Happhicos  uiiioiig  fii§  iiiifloiy  and  miserable  creatures." 

\ 


QVIXNI  COUNTY. 

Caowam.adiiii  Cohnfttt  wai 
for  nmny  ytisni  «  rnaidnnt 
Fluahing.  ila  wa«  the  Non 
Ihs  R«y.  Alexandor  Coldsn, 
DunM,  in  HnutlanI,  whsre 
WM  born  Fnb.  17,  l«HH.  He  f  "/ 
■tudlftil  mudioine  at  Kdinhiirtfh,  W^ 

wJ.'^.^mJ!S  1  '''"""'^  ■"  ■  fhy-iclan.  In  171H.  he  removed  to  New  York,  and 
waa  «K)n  apiwinted  aurveyor-ffeneral,  and  afterward  rnaater  in  ohanoery.    In  ITliO.  h. 

one  of  the  moat  ooni|iicuouB  inembera  of  that  body.    In  1781,  he  wa*  npiminted  lleiitenanU 

w.irri'nTvUlJ;'"*  "".f  "•  ".".  ^l"  «'•-"'  '"  •"«•  ««  wi  a  dotted  ilari 
t™  „mv.  H  '  '^"  thoroughly  verwid  in  the  knowledge  of  medicine,  botany;  and  al- 
Eu  .h7  '  ill  r"''fP*""'«f  '^'fh  ""«7  »f  the  .neat  eminent  ^jholan.  lK,ti  in  America  and 
wroT.'v»  n"."  ''"'i"?"T  '"'"""'f  ♦»  '"-thematic.,  botany,  and  medl,  ne.  he 
TnTlovernL?  I   i' '"m'"';  "^  "l"  K^^l ''"'"'"'  ^»"'""'-     ^hlle  holdh./ the  office  of  li«ut.n? 

He  hid  fi„  '  "' '  V«'  "'"  '^"T  '""''"'  '"  •  P''"""  "•""•"'O'  •"•  'h*  «l"  Hilf  farm. 
He  had  five  aona  and  five  daughtom,  a  port  of  whom  only  aurvlved  him  rw  of  Wa 

ZZTcofll'  ^, '"'""".""'"•  ^'l."?/ •  *"•  Prominent'men  in  U.e  c^ion,  0«la/! 
AoriUnfii     H '""'"'''"""?'.  P''^''*  <^''''«««'.  w"  born  at  Hprlng  Hill  in  Fluahing, 

H« -„.-^J  l^^'  ''•  ".'"'"•,•' '"  "••  ^""«"1  «»"te«  and  commenced  the  rtudy  of  law. 

He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  hb  profeaaion  at  Poughkcep^le,  in  1793,  where  he  wm 
j»o„  made  dl.tr.ct  attorney,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  l,i.  f„Tur;  fame     17.  fow  ye." 

lmonT^^he'fi«r'"rimL'r^"'  "I  "!".\'"^u"^ii''  P'^'T""' »"'» '»  ">«  other  br.nobej 
among  the  Hrat.     In  1818  he  waa  elected  to  the  New  York  aaaembly,  and  the  aame  veer 

appdnted  mayor  of  New  York.  In  1822  he  wa.  cho«,n  a  repr  JitSve  In  cTnJ^! 
rhlTJ'Z^-  ""  f  '?  """  -fate  .enate,  and  held  the  office  three  year,  in  «,cceSr 
Jh«rZ^  "nt'nngn.du.try  and  patient  re«,arch  were  peculiar  trail,  in  hi.  profe«iional 
e«Eand  .J^t^Si  '"J  P™''*"'^^ '"  '>^'^  thi"*  he  undertook.  lie  wo.  among  th. 
«?i.  J!L.i  1  '?'  ?«:*»'"«!»«"••  'n  connection  with  De  Witt  Clinton,  of  the  tnUini 

Sle  meTnl  ''''T^.'"''"^  .^'  i^"  «"""?'•"«"  «>'  »»>«  Erie  canal,  he  wrote  and  puULhed 
the  memoir  upon  the  aubjeot  He  wrote  aliw  the  life  of  Robert  Fulton.  He  died  unlvwu 
aally  eateemed,  at  Jerwy  City,  Feb.  7,  1834. 


Northern  view  of  Hempstead,  Long  Island. 

The  annexed  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  Hempstead  village 
as  It  18  entered  from  the  north  by  the  branch  railroad,  two  miles  in 
length,  which  connects  the  village  with  the  Long  Island  railroad.  It 
is^  pleasantly  situated  on  the  southern  margin  of  the  great  "  Hempstead 
p^uins,  2i  iiiilcs  from  New  York,  ihe  village  consists  of  about  HOC) 
dwellings,  3  churches,  and  the  Hempstead  seminary. 


\ 


894 


/ 


RSNBMLABR   COUNTY. 


RENSSELAER  COUNTY. 

tcNSSBLAER  COUNTY  wa«  taken  from  Albany  in  1791.  Greatest 
length  30,  mreatest  breadth  22  miles;  centrally  distant  from  New  York 
N.  156,  and  from  Albany  E.  10  miles.  The  eastern  portion  of  the 
county  is  broken  and  hilly,  and  in  some  places  rather  mountainous  and 
interspersed  with  fertile  valleys.  ,  The  central  and  western  part  is  di- 
versified with  hills,  and  a  gently  undulating  surface.  It  has  extensive 
valleys  and  flats  of  alluvion,  with  a  warm  rich  soil ;  and  the  uplands 
have  an  easy  toil,  well  adapted  to  the  various  purposes  of  agriculture. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  mill  sites,  and  the  numerous  streams  irri- 
gate every  portion  of  the  country.  Thouah  short,  they  possess,  from 
their  great  fall,  much  hydraulic  power.  The  principal  on«lhe  north  are 
the  Hoosick,  and  its  tributaries  tne  Little  Hoosick  and  Tomhenick ;  on 
the  south  Kinderhook,  and  its  branches  Tackawasick  and  Valitie 
creeks ;  the  Poesten  and  Wynant  kills,  and  Moordenaar's  creek.  This 
county  had  partial  settlements  at  a  very  early  period  of  our  history, 
and  has  long  sustained  a  very  considerable  population.  The  whole  of 
the  county,  except  the  towns  of  Schagticoke,  Pittstown,  Hoosick,  and 
north  part  of  Lansingburg  and  part  of  Troy,  is  comprised  within  the 
Rensselaerwyck  patent,  leased  under  the  ordinary  rent,  in  farms,  at  ten 
bushels  of  wheat  the  hundred  acres.  Tiie  county  contains  13  towns 
and  the  city  of  Troy : 


\ 


Berlin, 

Hoosick, 

Pittstown, 

Stephentown, 

Brunswick, 

Lansingburg, 

Sand  Lake, 

Troy. 

Grafton, 

Nassau, 

Schagticoke, 

Greenbush, 

Petersburg, 

Schodack, 

Troy  city,  seat  of  justice  for  the  county,  lies  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Hudson,  6  miles  north  of  Albany,  at  the  junction  of  the  Hudson  and 
Mohawk  valleys.  There  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  its  present  site 
was  visited  by  Hudson,  the  first  navigator  of  Hudson  river,  in  1609. 
In  ihe  record  of  his  voyage,  it  is  stated  he  "  went  sounding  his  way 
above  the  highlands,  till  at  last  the  Crescent  (the  ship  in  which  he 
made  his  voyage)  had  sailed  beyond  the  city  of  Hudson,  and  a  boat 
had  advanced  a  little  beyond  Albany."  Probably  this  boat  ascended 
to  the  rifts  which  lay  at  the  northerly  part  of  the  city,  where  the  ordi- 
nary tides  spent  their  force,  and  the  navigation  was  interrupted. 

For  more  than  a  century  after  Hudson's  voy£,";e,  the  territory  now 
comprising  the  site  of  Troy,  (although  within  the  limits  of  the  grant 
made  to  tne  patroon,)  probably  remained  part  of  the  hunting  ground 
of  the  Mohawk  Indiaiis.  In  1720,  a  grant  of  490  acres,  extending 
along  the  Hudson  between  the  Poestenkill  and  Meadow  creek,  com- 
prehending the  original  allotments  on  which  the  city  was  erected, 
was  made  in  fee  by  the  proprietor  of  the  manor  of  Rensselaerwyck 
to  Derick  Van  Derheyden,  at  the  small  rent  of  three  bushels  and  three 
pecks  of  wheat  and  four  fat  fowls  wmually.  From  the  date  of  the 
grant,  and  possibly  from  a  period  a  little  earlier,  this  plain  and  the 


\ 


\ 


IINMCLAIK  COUNTY. 


305 


first  range  of  hills  adjoining^,  was  possessed  by  the  grantee  and  his 
descendants,  and  small  portions  of  it  cultivated  as  a  farm.* 

After  the  revolution,  emigrants  from  New  England,  seeing  the  ad- 
vantaffeous  situation  of  Van  Derheyden,  as  it  was  then  called,  in- 
duced the  proprietors  to  lay  it  out  into  town  lots.  At  this  period 
Lansingburg,  then  called  the  "  New  City,"  was  a  village  of  considera- 
ble size  and  commercial  importance ;  the  city  of  Albany  lay  a  few 
miles  to  the  south,  and  had  for  many  generations  been  the  centre  of 
trade  for  the  entire  country  around.  These  circumstances  at  the 
first  appeared  unoropitious  to  the  growth  of  this  plaoe.  The  estab- 
lishment of  the  Federal  government  in  1789,  and  the  settlement  of 
the  "  new  state"  of  Vermont,  gave  an  impulse  to  the  spirit  of  enter- 
prise. The  village  of  Van  Derheyden  being  at  the  head  of  the  nat- 
ural navigation  of  the  Hudson,  after  some  struggle  began  to  outstrip 
the  "  New  City,"  which  had  been  unwisely  located  above  the  rifts. 
The  earliest  surveys  of  the  three  allotments  into  which  the  site  was 
originally  divided,  were  made  between  the  years  1786  and  1790; 
one  or  two  slight  buildincs  in  1786,  and  a  small  number  the  two  years 
following.  It  is  stated  that  by  the  spring  of  1789,  five  small  stores 
and  about  a  dozen  dwelling-houses  had  been  erected.  The  appella- 
tion of  Van  Derheyden's  Ferry  was  now  changed  into  the  more 
classic  name  of  Troy. 

In  1791,  the  county  of  Rensselaer  was  detached  from  Albany,  and 
Troy  was  selected  as  the  county  seat.  In  1 793  the  first  courthouse 
was  erected,  and  the  jail  the  following  year.  The  influential  men 
among  the  first  settlers  were  the  friends  of  order,  and  supporters  of 
the  institutions  of  religion.  When  they  were  too  few  to  support  a 
clergyman,  they  were  accustomed  to  assemble  in  a  store  at  the  sound 
of  a  conch-horn,  and  afterward  in  a  school-house.  Here  they  usu- 
ally listened  to  a  sermon  read  by  Dr.  Samuel  Gall,  or  the  late  Col. 
Pawling,  a  revolutionary  ofiicer.  In  1791,  the  inhabitants,  too 
few  to  consult  their  denominational  preferences,  by  an  united  effort 
erected  a  fr^me  for  a  house  of  public  worship,  which  was  covei^d 
the  following  year,  and  although  unfinished,  was  used  as  a  place  for 
public  worship.  This  building  became  the  first  edifice  of  the  Pres- 
byterian congregation.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Jonas  Coe  was  their  first  min- 
ister. His  services  at  this  period  were  divided  between  Troy  and 
Lansingburg,  his  residence  being  in  the  latter  place.  An  Episcopal 
church,  an  edifice  of  small  dimension  of  brick,  was  erected  m  1804, 
which  was  enlarged  some  years  afterward,  and  is  now  known  at 
St.  John's  church.  In  1805,  the  Baptist  congregation  erected  a  house 
of  worship  in  Third-street,  which  was  afterward  enlarged.    The 


*  Mr.  Elyah  Adams,  now  (1840)  77  yean  of  age,  who  has  resided  here  about  60  yean, 
states  that  when  he  firatknew  the  Van  Derheyden  lands,  there  were  patches  or  strips  with- 
in the  present  site  of  the  city,  known  as  the  cam  grounds  of  the  native  Indians.  Some, 
time  after  he  had  taken  up  his  residence  here,  a  full  grown  bear  swam  across  the  Hudson, 
landed  near  the  upper  ferry,  and  on  being  pursued  ran  acroos  tlie  low  land  among  the  small 
oaksj  und  &t  l6nsth  ascended  a  ninA  tree  near  ths  srf^sr.nt  Ifis^A**'^**    '   '  ~ 

■titute,  and  was  there  brought  to  the  ground  oy  a  shot  &om  his  iMe. 


f 


^"V.. 


KCNaSELAER    COUNTY. 

Jhfo^n'^i'/  pP'f'^^P'^.'  congregation  erected  their  first  house  of  wor. 
■nip  in  State-street  in  IHOO.  '^ 


Northwestern  view  of  the  Troy  Female  Seminary. 


The  Troy  Female  Seminary,  located  in  this  place,  holds  a  high 
rank  among  the  institutions  of  learning  in  our  country.  John  H 
and  barah  L.  Willard  ..re  the  principals,  and  Nancy  Hinsdale  the 
yice-principal :  there  ;.re  besides  21  teachers  and  officers.  The  follow- 
ing  account  and  historical  sketch  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  an 
individual  well  acquainted  with  it. 
The  Bchool  of  which  the  Troy  Seminary  is  a  continuation,  was  begun  in  Middlpburv 

tl^!^H!:••'"l^®^*'^^^'!•^'"""'^!""^•  ^'  ">«^«'  obtained  conaidefablecelebrityS 
^^l-fr  fu'  "^t"  •'«'""'?'L'«  ^«'n°^«  it  «o  Waterford.  in  this  state.  She  consented  oi  the 
condmon  hat  the  most  mfluential  gentlemen  of  that  place  should  unite  in  cwi^ng  before 
iJ^r^lTuy^TZ^'''  incorporating  and  endowing  a  public  institution  for  female^ 
Their  approbation  of  this  measure  was  made  to  depend  on  that  of  De  Witt  Clinton  then 

^nA^-TJ^  "^f  T\-  ^"  ^'''"«  P'^-""'**^  *'"»  *^^  P'-^.  he  expressed  his  higKpi 
•nd  mtroduced  tlie  subject  into  his  message.  «=""»  mgn  approval, 

t»,?  iiH7'"lr  i  181&-19  the  petition  was,  under  his  auspices,  presented  to  the  legisla- 

SuHv^  K-lf"  1""  *""  •  **  "«**"  °^  '"""'•"  '"  '««"'*  '»  education,  were  plead  in  « 
kgislatiye  hall.    Atnong  its  supporters  were  Mr.  Van  Buren,  and  Mr,  John  C.  Spencer 

2^feVT7.°Klf'r''"?^"'"'l"°*'t'^'"^'  ""  ''"'•""•°»  °"  *«  proposed  pi; Tncorp,^ 
Jd  ii  p^4e  '"'*^°*™«°»  *»'""«'>'  ».  but  the  adjournment  of  the  legislature  prevent 

In  the  spring  of  1819,  the  propoeed  school  went  into  operation  in  Waterford.  in  the  larw 
bmlding  now  occupied  as  a  hotel,  that  having  been  hired  for  two  yean..    The  next  wintf.^^ 

TuTrthl  ™"T'"'"'' ''^'■'"""^  •'"'  »»''P«-  *hich  had  been  excited  of  !^  endowmen  i 
but  in  the  mean  ome  private  patronage  was  abundant.  wmem, 

m<J?..i«;  ■.*"  ■"*'°°'  ""T*^  ^^^^'  "1^  °°  P''"'"  being  provided  in  Waterford  for  its  accom. 
S       'i-    "  "raoved  jo  Troy,  the  corporation  of  that  city  having  voted  ai4.000  for  a 

ind  t.  LlUl,***-^"°1'  'K""'"  °^  »^«  ''""'^'"8  •"'^«  »'««"  «""«'« '»  meenle  interest 
and  almo«t  aU  the  pnncipij  of  the  moneys  expended  in  its  several  enlargements  and  in  Vhe 
add  tions  to  Its  grounds.  Since  1837  tiiis  institution  has  received  from  the  state  a  share  of 
IJl  r  ""k  ^""'^'  "y  "^^"^  *"  "^"^»  apparatus,  &c.,  previously  furnished  by  the  Prin. 
cipal  have  been  made  more  complete.  This  school  has  educated  at  least  five  thousand 
S'/'^K  ™"?°"'°".\'^^'1?^''^«  been  teachers,  and  it  has  furnished  Principals  for 
?ri7-  1  /.{??°''  distinguished  female  schools  in  every  part  of  the  Union.  The  Jresen 
Principal  of  this  seminary,  Mrs.  Sarah  L.  Willard.  spent  nineteen  yean,  in  the  institution  as 
pupil,  teacher,  and  vice-pnncipal,  before  assuming  its  government.  But  the  larger  number  of 
tae  youns  lauics  nere  eaucatea  nave  married,  and  are  now,  many  of  them,  s'tanding  in  the 


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RBNB8BLABK   COVllTY. 


997 


ftrt  eirolea  and  among  the  first  women  of  our  counfrj  in  regard  tfr  niety  and  moral  worth, 
domeetic  uBeftilnew,  and  intelle:!tual  and  social  accomplishments.  Several  of  the  pupik 
luve  been  duunguished  as  authors.  About  twenty  teachers  are  constantly  «mployed  Th« 
number  of  pupils  being  about  Wo  hundred,  gives  an  average  of  one  teacher  to  ten  puoils. 
Tiie  objects  of  education  as  stated  in  the  original  plan  are  considered  to  he,  fint,  Nlii^na 
and  moral  i  second,  hterary ;  third,  domestic ;  and  fourth,  ornamental.  But  to  obtain  thas* 
ends,  the  physical  and  mental  powers  must  be  developed  and  strengthened  in  due  order  and 
proportion.  Great  care  has  been  bestowed  on  health,  and  but  one  death  of  a  pupU.  and 
that  a  sudden  one  from  organic  aflfeotion  of  the  heart,  has  occurred.  r  r  f  ~«. 

The  Rensselaer  Institute  is  an  excellent  institution  under  the  charge 
of  Professor  Eaton.  Many  young  men  are  here  fitted  for  the  pro- 
fession of  civil  engineering.  The  system  of  teaching  is  thorough 
and  practical.  * 

T>kM  J  ?*l^  of  Troy  is  regularly  laid  out.  on  a  plan  similar  to  that  of 
1  hiladelphia.  The  principal  street  is  River-street,  which  extends 
along  the  Hudson  the  whole  length  of  the  city,  and  is  ornamented 
with  many  splendid  and  spacious  stores.  It  is  the  theatre  of  a  very 
extensive  business.  The  remaining  portion  of  the  place  generally 
exhibits  the  quiet  aspect  of  the  country.  Many  of  the  buildings,  both 
P"°J?°  ®o-  P"^**®'  ^""6  spacious  and  elegant.    The  courthouse,  built 

0  ^^v^  marble,  is  a  splendid  edifice,  after  the  Grecian  model. 
St.  Paul  s  church  is  a  noble  Gothic  edifice,  erected  at  an  expense  of 
about  60,000  dollars.  There  are  in  Troy  sixteen  places  of  public 
worship— V12,  4  Presbyterian,  3  Episcopal,  2  Methodist,  1  Scotch 
Presbyterian,  2  Baptist,  1  Catholic,  2  African,  and  1  Friends 
meetin^-houses.  On  the  Wynant  and  Poestens  kills,  which  here 
enipty  into  the  Hudson,  are  several  extensive  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments. The  city  is  abundantly  supplied  with  excellent  water  from 
the  neighboring  hills.  Hvdrants  are  placed  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets  with  hose  attached,  which  in  case  of  fire,  as  the  natural  heed 
of  the  water  is  75  feet  above  the  city  level,  supersedes  the  use  of 
fire-engines.  Troy  is  indebted  in  a  great  measure  for  its  prosperity 
to  Its  advantageous  situation,  and  the  enterprise  and  industry  of  her 
inhabitants.  She  has  extensively  availed  herself  of  the  facilities 
afforded  by  the  river  and  the  Erie  and  Champlain  canals.  The  tides 
of  the  Hudson  frequently  ascend  to  a  da:^  thrown  across  the  river 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  centre  of  the  city.  By  means  of 
a  lock,  sloop  navigation  is  thus  afforded  to  the  village  of  Waterford. 
Within  the  last  few  years  Trov  has  increased  rapidly  in  wealth  and 
population.  In  1830  her  population  was  5,268;  in  1830,  11,666  ;  in 
1850,  28,785.  The  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  railroad,  24  miles  to 
Ballston  Spa,  crosses  the  Hudson  at  this  place  by  a  bridge  1,600  feet 
in  length. 

Ben»KlMru)i/ck,  or  the  manor  of  RetuHlaer,  includes  a  very  extensive  tract  on  both  sides 

01  the  Hudson,  in  nearly  the  centre  of  which  is  the  city  of  Albany.  It  is  24  miles  wide 
on  the  nver,  and  about  42  miles  long,  east  and  west.  It  includes  in  its  area  aU  of  Rensse. 
laer  county,  excepting  the  towns  of  SchaghUcoke,  Hooeick,  and  Pittstown,  and  the  greater 
part  of  Albany  county.  The  title  to  this  patent  ia  derived  from  several  succes-ive  grants 
by  the  government  of  Holland,  dating  as  far  back  as  1641,  when  the  first  grant  was  made 
to  Kiliian  Van  Rensselaer,  who  had  purchased  the  native  right  to  the  soil,  under  conditions 
stipulated  by  the  government  of  Holland.  "  When  this  country  chaiured  T.=st-.r=  nj;ss4n- 
from  the  Dutch  to  the  English,  again  for  a  short  time  to  the  Dutch,  and  foiaily  aginto  tS 
liinghsh,  some  controvaniea  aroM  abont  indemaitiea,  but  the  private  right  of  tha  original 

88 


W. 


298 


/. 


REN88SLABR   COUNTY. 


proprietor  of  the  colony  of  Renaselaerwyck  waa  never  questioned.  And  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1685,  the  whole  waa  confirmed  by  letters  patent,  under  the  grreat  seal  of  the  prov- 
ince of  New  York,  by  Thomas  Dongan,  lieutenant-governor  of  the  same.  The  original 
design  of  the  Dutch  government  extended  only  to  the  founding  of  colonies  in  this  country 
by  citizens  of  Holland,  who  should  amicably  acquire  the  Indian  title  to  the  lands ;  and  the 
foundpr  of  a  colony  was  therefore  styled  its  patroon  by  the  bill  of  privileges  and  the  deed 
of  conveyance,  the  latter  of  which  was  only  granted  when  the  native  right  had  been  ac- 
quired by  purchase."  A  great  portion  of  the  land  is  permanently  leased,  and  rent  annually 
paid  in  the  products  of  the  soil  to  the  patroon  at  Albany. 


X       3 


Northwestern  view  of  Lansingburg. 

\  Lansingburg  was  incorporated  in  1801.  It  is  beautifully  situated 
on  the  Hudson,  3  miles  N.  of  Troy,  9  N.  from  Albany,  and  1  S.  from 
Waterford.  Formerly  it  was  called  the  "  New  City,"  and  the  ra- 
pidity of  its  growth  at  that  time  excited  wonder.  The  village  is 
regularly  laid  out  with  capacious  streets  in  squares  of  400  by  260 
feet,  and  is  a  place  of  considerable  manufacturing  and  commercial 
business.  There  are  here  2  Presbyterian,  2  Methodist,  1  Baptist,  1 
Episcopal,  and  1  Universalist  church,  an  academy  in  high  repute,  2 

E riming  offices,  a  bank,  many  mercantile  stores,  &c.,  and  about  400 
ouses.  Three  of  the  sprouts  of  the  Mohawk  enter  the  Hudson  near 
the  village,  and  the  Cahoes  Falls  are  often  distinctly  heard  in  the  still- 
ness of  the  night.  The  annexed  engraving  is  from  a  view  taken  near 
the  bridge  a  short  distance  above  the  village,  connecting  it  with  Water- 
ford.  In  the  extreme  distance  on  the  right,  the  bridge  over  the  Hud- 
son, at  Troy,  is  visible.  Lansingburg  was  organized  as  a  village  in 
1771,  and  "is  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest,  chartered  village  in 
tie  state." 

The  village  of  Greenbush,  opposite  Albany,  contains  upwards  of 
^00  dwellings.  During  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain,  the  United 
States  cantonment  was  erected  here  about  2  miles  eastward  of  Alba- 
ny. The  buildings  are  now  in  a  ruinous  condition.  Scaghticoke 
Point  is  8  large  manufacturing  village  containing  upwards  of  150 
dwellings  13  miles  NE.  of  Tro^.  Hoosick  Falla^  24  miles  NE=  of 
Troy,  is  a  manufacturing  village  containing  about  80  dwellings. 


RICHMOND   COUNTY. 


899 


RICHMOND  COUNTY. 


V. 


Richmond,  an  original  county,  was  organized  November  1,  1683, 
and  coniprises  Staten  Island,  Shooter's  Island,  and  the  islands  of  mea- 
dow on  the  west  side  of  Staten  Island.  It  is  about  14  miles  long,  and 
its  greatest  breadth  is  8 ;  mean  breadth  5  miles.  It  is  divided  into  4 
towns,  all  of  which  were  organized  in  1788.    Pop.  10,985. 

Castleton,  Northfield,  Southfield,  Westfield. 


Sailor's  Snug  Harbor. 


I 


The  "  Sailor's  Snug  Harbor"  is  a  charitable  institution  for  aged  or 
infirm  seamen,  pleasantly  located  about  a  n.ile  W.  of  New  Brighton. 
The  buildings  are  in  the  Grecian  style,  with  marble  fronts ;  the  main 
building,  65  by  100  feet,  has  marble  pillars  in  front,  and  is  connected 
by  corridors  with  wings  of  53  by  100  feet.  Cost  of  construction 
$115,000.  The  institution  was  founded  in  1801,  by  Robert  Richard 
Randall,  of  New  York,  who  bequeathed  22  acres  for  this  purpose  in 
the  15th  ward,  which  at  that  time  was  of  comparatively  little  value, 
but  now  has  increased  to  an  imipepse  estate.  Connected  with  the 
building  is  a  farm  of  160  acres.  In  the  yard  fronting  the  edifice  is  an 
elegant  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  founder.  No  worthy  appli- 
cant has  ever  yet  been  rejected.  There  are  here  at  present  1 10  oi  the 
sons  of  Neptune,  many  of  whom  having  dropped  their  last  anchor,  have 
found  a  snug  port  for  life. 

Richmond,  the  county  seat,  13  miles  from  New  Yoxk,  is  a  neat  but 
antiquated  village,  partly  located  in  this  town  and  \n  Northfield  and 
Westfield.  It  contains  2  churches,  2  hotels,  a  courthouse  and  jail, 
and  about  45  dwellings.  At  the  Narrows  are  ^he  forts  Tompluns, 
Richmond,  and  Hudson,  and  tl|e  ^ignjil  H^. 


V 


^^  ,         ROCKLAND  COUNTY. 


..y-  *'''*s^ 


y 


ROCKLAND  COUNTY. 

Rockland  county  was  taken  from  Orange  in  1798 ;  greatest  length 
23  greatest  breadth  18  miles.  It  is  situated  in  the  extreme  southern 
angle  of  the  state,  upon  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson.  Its  surface  is 
generally  much    broken,  and  in  the  W.  and    NW.  mountainous. 

1  he  valleys  are  rich,  extensive,  and  fertile.    Dobbs  Ferry,  Stony  Point, 
Fort  Chnton,  and  the  Pass,  were  noted  in  the  annals  of  the  revolution' 

'  Orangetown,  now  in  Rockland,  was  the  capital  of  the  county  until 
1737,  when  a  courthouse  and  jail  were  bui  t  at  Goshen,  in  Orance 
and  the  courts  wero  holden  at  the  two  places  alternately.  About  1774,' 
the  courthouse  and  jail  at  Orangetown  having  been  destroyed  by  fire' 
and  part  of  the  village  having  been  transferred  to  New  Jersey,  public 
buildmgs  were  erected  at  the  *  New  City,'  then  in  the  precinct  of 
Haverstraw,"  Tlie  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  commences  at 
Fiermont,  and  runnmg  through  Orangetown,  Clarkstown,  and  Ramapo 
enters  Orange  county  m  the  town  of  Monroe.  This  county  is  divided 
into  4  towns,  vi?!. : 

Clarkson,        Haverstraw,        Orangetown,        Ramapo. 


Northern  view  of  Stony  Point,  on  the  Hudson. 

The  above  is  a  northern  view  of  Stony  Point,  as  seen  when  pass- 
ing down  the  Hudson.  This  place  is  a  little  rough  promontory  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Hiirfson,  nearly  a  mile  below  the  entrance  of 
the  Highlands,  having  a  lighthouse  on  its  summit.  It  was  a  fortified 
post  during  the  revolutionary  war,  and  is  distinguished  by  the  celebrated 
assault  made  upon  it  on  the  16th  July,  1779,  by  Gen.  Wayne.  Ver- 
planck's  Point,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  is  also  a  place  dis^ 
tinguished  in  the  history  of  the  revolution.  The  following  is  an  ac- 
count of  the  storming  of  Stony  Point,  as  communicated  in  a  letter 
from  Gen.  Wayne  to  Washington,  dated  Stony  Point,  July  17th,  1779. 

."  ^'''~'  '"'*®  ****  ''*'"'"  *"  ST"^®  y°"  *  <""'•  and  particular  relation  of  the  reduction  of 


ry  "tndsr  xny  coxziuxaud 


"  Olf  tfift  l§th  instant  at  twelve  o'clock  we  took  up  our  line  of  march  from  Sandy  Beach, 


■OOKLAND   COUNTY. 


\ 


301 


feiS  '^*"  ""'?'?""  *"P''"''"  *«  '»•<>•  ^^  exoeedingiyb«i  ud  narrow  .nd 
having  to  paaa  over  high  mountaint,  through  deep  moruMa  and  diAcult  H.fii-.^r' 
obhged  to  move  in  single  filea  the  greatest  part  of  thT^'r.iihVo"!;^       ^"^ 
fX?;r  'T'^  •'  ^/-  Spring-teela. 'within  one  ,^e  aJd  atirof  thelemVYnd 

tr„„™  T'  -^".^'i?'  "°''r"'"  *"'""«  ^"^'"  *"  '■«"'»  ^"d  fl«nk.  coulddarp  Kdorof  the 
troopa,  who  ,n  the  face  of  a  moet  tremendous  and  incessan  Sre  of  Zsketrv  and  from 
Z?»lYl^  "".'*  grape^hot,  forced  their  way  at  the  point  of  the  bayTet  SCh  eveS 

s:%rmS"^:p^^^^^ 
sirsti^x^ru-rciir^^^^ 

••  Colonels  Butler.  Meigs,  and  Febiger  conducted  themselvea  with  that  coolness  braverv 
,h«  .CK™"?'«''t*.^'"  'T  l""""  ™*=<'««'-  Lieutenant-colonel  Hay  was  "0^^' 
l,r.nS.'„?''T'''  ''^''""f  "'  *'  ^''J'*  Pf  ^'  '»''«'*''°"-  I  should  take  up  too  much  of  yo^ 
excellency's  time,  were  I  to  particularize  every  individual  who  deserves  it  for  Ws  braved 
on  this  occasion.  I  cannot,  however,  omit  Major  Lee,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  fre3 
and  very  useful  inteUigencc,  which  contributed  much  to  the  success^  "he  enterorise  ?  and 
i ll'lhTLffi?'  S^-'r  \5"""^^  acknowledge  to  you.  that  I  was  supported  in  th^rtmik  bj 
all  the  officers  and  soldiers  under  my  command,  to  the  utmost  of  my  wishes.  The  officmi 
plr:„Tnl?fh"'"'''^  '"'''"^  themselves  in  turning  the  canno^lSaLt  vS^S 

"T'.hnJi?^     the  enemy  to  cut  the  cables  of  their  shipping,  and  run  down  the  rivw? 
I  should  be  wanting  in  gratitude  were  I  to  omit  mentioning  Captain  Fishboum  and  Mr 
Archer,  my  two  aids-de.camp.  who  on  every  occasion  showed  the  greatesTinSdhy  wd 
supported  me  into  the  works  after  I  received  my  wound  in  passing  AeSaftS'*"'^' 

"  Enclosed  are  the  returns  of  the  killed  and  wounded  of  the  light  infantry,  tsiL  of  the 

^'JL\\^°[  ***  ''?*°™  y""'  excellency,  that  previously  to  my  marching.  I  had  drawn  Gen« 

«liw''fi"'""""^  °I°"  ^u'^^'u-  "^^^'V'  '^^°  """'"•"^  *°  *•*«  ♦'»«  "^"  Of  a  vanquished  fo« 
k£  on  thTo^cMhfn ''"  °"         '  '^'^  '"'°°'"*'*  *'"'  *^  '■'"^  "'■'''''  •'""^ 

»nSrZ!!"'  ^"t  v**  ''"'u  *^  ""'"°*'.""  ™  '^'"''^  '  •"»'«  mentioned  the  conduct  of  Lieuten. 
^n^v.  ^r'  "i^**.^"*?*;  *K**°  gentlemen  who  led  the  advanced  parties  of  twenty  men 
ont  to  tte'IiS'r"''','^  bravery  deserves  the  highest  commendation.  The TSr  l^" 
ft^c^  .h«uI,K'T'''"''?T'"-"'L''«"*^  '""f  "'""**^"  •"«"  killed  and  wounded  in 
n  .««^ A'  fu  •'^u"*'  *.**  *•**  ninth  Pennsylvania  regiment,  and  was  more  fortunata 

in  saving  his  men,  though  not  less  exposed.    I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c.  ""•«»" 

"  The  n  imber  of  prisoners  taken  In  the  fort  was  Jive  hunthed  and  forty-tkree.    By  0«. 


302 


ROCKLAND   COUNTY. 


*'^, 


X 


nerd  Wttyne'i  return  the  number  of  killed  wai  sixty -three.  In  Colonel  Johnton'i  official 
account  of  the  transaction,  his  loes  in  killed  is  stated  to  have  been  only  twenty.  It  is  not 
easy  to  reconcile  this  discrepancy.  The  assailing  party  had  fifteen  killed  and  eighty -three 
wounded. 

"  Congress  passed  resolves  highly  complimentary  to  the  officers  and  privates  engaged  in 
this  enterprise,  and  confirming  the  promise  of  reward  which  had  been  previously  made  by 
General  Wayne  ;  and  also  directing  the  value  of  all  the  military  stores  taken  at  Stony 
Point  to  be  ascertained  and  divided  among  the  troops  who  were  engaged  in  storming  the 
fort. 

"  The  rewards  were  as  follows :  to  the  first  man  who  entered  the  enemy's  works,  five 
hundred  dollars ;  to  the  second,  four  hundred  dollars ;  to  the  third,  three  hundred  ;  to  the 
fourth,  two  hundred ;  to  the  fifth,  one  hundred ;  being  fifteen  hundred  dollars  in  the  whole. 
The  ordnance  and  other  stores  were  estimated  at  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  thousand  six 
hundred  and  forty  dollars ;  which  amount  was  divided  among  the  troops  in  proportion  to 
the  pay  of  the  officers  and  men. 

*'  Three  different  medals,  emblematical  of  the  action,  were  struck  by  order  of  congress, 
bearing  the  names  respectively  of  Wayne,  Fleury,  and  Stewart." 

The  village  of  Piermont,  24  miles  N.  of  New  York,  contains  about 
150  dwellings  and  2  churches.  The  New  York  and  Erie  railroad 
commences  here  by  a  pier  in  the  river  nearly  a  mile  in  length.  Dohhs^ 
Ferry,  a  noted  place  in  the  revolution,  is  about  a  mile  below  this  place. 
Tappan,  a  httle  village  of  about  20  houses,  is  3  miles  W.  of  Piermont, 
and  is  distinguished  as  the  place  where  Major  Andre  was  executed 
during  the  revolution.  In  1831,  his  remains  were  disinterred  by  the 
British  consul,  and  conveyed  to  London. 


North  view  of  the  place  where  Andre  was  executed. 

The  place  where  Andre  was  executed  is  at  the  summit  of  a  hill, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Tappan  village,  and  overlooking  to 
the  east  a  romantic  and  fertile  valley.  A  small  heap  of  stones,  thrown 
hastily  together,  with  an  upright  stake  and  a  few  names  carved  rudely 
upon  it,  is  the  only  monument  to  mark  the  spot  of  his  execution  and 
his  grave.  While  in  Tappan  village,  Andre  was  confined  in  an  an- 
cient stone  mansion,  at  present  occupied  as  a  tavern  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Wandle.  His  trial  took  place  in  the  old  Dutch  church,  which  was 
torn  down  in  1836.  A  new  one  has  since  been  erected  on  the  same 
site.  TT  asiiington  s  ueau-quarters  were  in  the  antiquated  stone  dwei- 
Jing  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Arthur  Johnson. 


KOCKLANO   COUNTY. 


The  following  account  of  the  execution  of  Andre,  which  took  place 
Oct.  2,  1780,  is  given  by  an  eye-witness. 

"  I  WM  at  that  time  an  artificer  in  Col.  Jeduthan  Baldwin's  regiment,  a  part  of  which 
was  stationed  within  a  short  distance  of  the  spot  where  Andre  suffered.  One  of  our  men, 
(I  believe  his  name  was  Armstrong,)  being  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  workmen  at  his  trade 
m  the  regiment,  was  selected  to  make  his  coffin,  which  he  performed  and  painted  black, 
agreeable  to  the  custom  in  those  times. 

"  At  this  time  Andre  was  confined  in  what  was  called  a  Dutch  church,  a  small  stone 
building,  with  only  one  door,  and  closely  guarded  by  six  sentinels.  When  the  hour  ap. 
pomted  for  his  execution  arrived,  which  I  believe  was  2  o'clock,  P.  M.,  a  guard  of  three 
hundred  men  were  paraded  at  the  place  of  his  confinement.  A  kind  of  procession  was 
formed  by  placing  the  guard  in  single  file  on  each  side  of  the  road.  In  front  were  a  large 
number  of  American  officers  of  high  rank,  on  horseback ;  these  were  followed  by  the 
wagon  containing  Andre's  coffin— then  a  large  number  of  officers  on  foot,  with  Andre  in 
their  midst.  The  procession  moved  slowly  up  a  moderately  rising  hill,  I  should  think  about 
a  fourth  of  a  mile  to  the  west.  On  the  top  was  a  field  without  any  enclosure ;  in  this  was 
a  very  high  gallows,  made  by  setting  up  two  poles  or  crotches,  laying  a  pole  on  the  top. 
The  wagon  that  contained  the  coffin  was  drawn  directly  under  the  gallows.  In  a  short 
time  Andre  stepped  into  the  hind  end  of  the  wagon— then  on  his  coffin— took  off  his  hat 
and  laid  it  down— then  placed  his  bands  upon  his  hips,  and  walked  very  uprightly  back 
and  forth,  as  far  as  the  length  of  his  coffin  would  permit,  at  the  same  time  costing  his  eyes 
upon  the  pole  over  his  head  and  the  whole  scenery  by  which  he  was  surrounded.  He  was 
dressed  in  what  I  should  call  a  complete  British  uniform ;  his  coat  was  of  the  brightest  scar, 
let,  faced  or  trimmed  with  the  most  beautiful  green  ;  his  under  clothes,  or  vest  and  breeches, 
were  bright  buff,  very  similar  to  those  worn  by  military  officers  in  Connecticut  at  the  pre. 
sent  day ;  he  had  a  long  and  beautiful  head  of  hair,  which,  agreeable  to  the  fashion,  was 
wound  with  a  black  riband,  and  hung  down  his  back.  All  eyes  were  upon  him,  and  it  is 
not  believed  that  any  officer  in  the  British  army,  placed  in  his  situation,  would  have  appeared 
better  than  this  unfortunate  man. 

"  Not  many  minutes  after  he  took  his  stand  upon  the  coffin,  the  executioner  stepped  into 
the  wagon  with  a  halier  in  his  hand,  on  one  end  of  which  was  what  the  soldiers  in  those 
days  called  a  hangman's  knot,  which  he  attempted  to  put  over  the  head  and  arouiid  the 
neck  of  Andre,  but  by  a  sudden  movement  of  his  hand  this  was  prevented.  Andre  took 
off  the  handkerchief  from  his  neck,  unpinned  his  shirt  collar,  and  deliberately  took  the  end 
of  the  halter,  put  it  over  his  head,  and  placed  the  knot  directly  under  his  right  ear,  and 
drew  it  very  snugly  to  his  neck ;  he  then  took  from  his  coat  pocket  a  handkerchief  and  tied 
it  over  his  eyes.  "This  done,  the  officer  that  commanded  (his  name  I  have  forgotten)  spoke 
in  rather  a  loud  voice,  and  said  that  his  arms  must  be  tied.  Andre  at  once  pulled  down 
the  handkerchief  he  had  just  tied  over  his  eyes,  and  drew  from  his  pocket  a  second  one, 
and  gave  to  the  executioner,  and  then  replaced  his  handkerchief.  His  arms  were  tied  just 
above  the  elbows,  and  behind  the  back :  the  rope  was  then  made  fast  to  the  pole  overhead. 
The  wagon  was  very  suddenly  drawn  fi-om  under  the  gallows,  which,  together  with  the 
length  of  rope,  gave  him  a  most  tremendous  swing  back  and  forth,  but  in  a  few  moments  he 
hung  entirely  still.  During  the  whole  transaction  he  appeared  as  little  daunted  rs  Mr.  John 
Rogers,  when  he  was  about  to  be  burnt  at  the  stake ;  but  his  countenance  was  mther  pale. 
Ht!  remained  hanging,  I  should  think,  from  20  to  30  minutes,  and  during  that  time  the 
chambers  of  death  were  never  stiller  than  the  multitude  by  which  he  was  surrounded. 
Orders  were  given  to  cut  the  rope,  and  take  him  down  without  letting  him  fall ;  this  was 
done,  and  his  body  carefully  laid  on  the  ground. — Shortly  after,  the  guard  was  withdrawn 
and  spectators  were  permitted  to  come  forward  to  view  the  corpse,  but  the  crowd  was  so 
great  that  it  was  some  time  before  I  could  get  an  opportunity.  When  I  was  able  to  do 
this,  his  coat,  vest,  and  breeches  were  taken  off,  and  his  body  laid  in  the  coffin,  covered  by 
some  under  clothes.  The  top  of  the  coffin  was  not  put  on.  I  viewed  the  corpse  more  care, 
fully  than  I  had  ever  done  that  of  any  human  being  before.  His  head  was  very  much  on 
one  side,  in  consequence  of  the  manner  in  which  the  halter  drew  upon  his  neck.  His  face 
appeared  to  be  greatly  swollen  and  very  black,  much  resembling  a  high  degree  of  mortifi. 
cation ;  it  was  indeed  a  shocking  sight  to  behold.  There  was  at  this  time  standing  at  the 
foot  of  the  coffin,  two  young  men  of  uncommon  short  stature — I  should  think  not  more 
than  four  feet  high.  'Their  dress  was  the  most  gaudy  that  I  ever  beheld.  One  of  them  had 
the  clothes  just  taken  from  Andre  hanging  on  his  arm.  I  took  particular  pains  to  learn  who 
they  were,  and  was  informed  that  they  were  his  servants,  sent  up  from  New  York  to  take 
Csrs  Oi  his  eiothes,  but  what  Oihef  buslucss  I  did  not  Icafii. 

"  I  now  turned  to  take  a  view  of  the  executioner,  who  was  still  standing  by  one  of  the 


304 


8T.   LAWRENCE   COUNTY. 


INMU  of  the  gallows.  I  walked  nigh  enough  to  him  te  have  laid  my  hand  upon  hie  ihoul- 
der,  and  looked  him  directly  in  his  face.  He  appeared  to  be  about  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  his  beard  of  two  or  three  weeks'  growth,  and  his  whole  face  covered  with  what  ap- 
peared to  me  to  be  blacking  taken  from  the  outside  of  a  greasy  pot.  A  more  frightful 
looking  being  I  never  beheld— his  whole  countenance  bespoke  him  to  be  a  fit  instrument 
for  the  business  he  had  been  doing.  Wishing  to  see  the  closing  of  the  whole  business,  I 
remained  upon  the  spot  until  scarce  twenty  persons  were  left,  but  the  cofBn  was  still  be- 
side the  grave,  which  had  previously  been  dug.  I  now  returned  to  my  tent,  with  my 
mind  deeply  imbued  with  the  shocking  scene  I  had  been  called  to  witness." 


f< 


\ 


ST.  LAWRENCE  COUNTY. 

St.  Lawrence  county  was  taken  from  Oneida  in  1802 ;  distant 
from  New  York  350,  from  Albany  NW.  206  miles.  Greatest  length 
on  the  St.  Lawrence  river,  which  bounds  it  on  the  N.,  66  miles ; 
greatest  breadth  64.  This  county  is  larger  by  1,000  square  miles 
than  any  other  in  the  state.  That  portion  of  it  bordering  upon  the  St. 
Lawrence,  and  extending  30  or  40  miles  into  the  country,  is  agreeably 
diversified,  waving  in  gentle  swells  and  broad  valleys,  with  extensive 
tracts  of  champaign.  The  soil  is  warm,  rich,  and  productive,  and  equal 
to  any  of  the  uplands  of  the  state.  The  southeastern  part  is  broken 
and  mountainous.  These  mountains  abound  with  fine  iron  ore.  The 
\  county  is  comparatively  unsettled,  but  is  now  filling  up  rapidly.  Since 
J 820,  the  population  has  more  than  trebled.  This  county  extends  75 
miles  along  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  many  large  streams,  with  their 
branches,  furnish  some  internal  navigation,  with  superabundance  of 
hydraulic  power.  The  St.  Lawrence  has  a  good  sloop  navigation 
from  Lake  Ontario  to  Ogdensburg.  From  Ogdensburg  to  Montreal, 
Ihe  navigation  is  dangerous  on  account  of  the  rapids.  This  river  is 
studded  with  numberless  islands,  rendering  the  scenery  highly  pictur- 
esque and  beautiful.  Wheat  is  raised  upon  the  new  lands,  but  there 
is  danger  of  its  being  winter-killed  in  the  long  and  almost  unmitigated 
frosts.  Rye,  grass,  and  all  the  summer  crops  flourish  luxuriantly ; 
and  it  is  obvious  that  the  great  source  of  wealth  here  will  be  found  in 
grass  farming  and  the  culture  of  sheep.  The  county  is  divided  into 
25  towns : 


Brasher, 

Canton, 

De  Kalb, 

De  Peyster, 

Edwards, 

Fowler, 

Governeur, 


Hammond, 

Hermon, 

Hopkinton. 

Lawrence, 

Lisbon, 

Louisville, 

Madrid, 


Massena, 

Morristown, 

Norfolk, 

Oswegatchie, 

Parishville, 

Pierrepont, 

Pitcairn, 


Potsdam, 
Rossie, 
Russell, 
Stockholm. 


Ogdensburg,  the  largest  place  in  the  county,  has  a  population  of 
2,555.  It  is  204  miles  N.  from  Albany,  130  from  Montreal,  120 
W.  from  Plattsburgh,  63  NE.  from  Sacketts  Harbor,  and  18  from 
Canton.     This  was  formerly  the  county  seat,  but  it  has  been  re- 


a 

4 


,..-6^^ 


MAJOR  ANDRE, 
With  a  fac-Bimile  of  bis  hand  \vriting. 


GEN.  MONTGOMERY, 
Killed  in  an  assault  on  Quebec,  Dec.  Slst,  1*7*76. 


i « 


mil 

>J!f 


^ 


■T.  LAWKJiNUU   COUNTr 


ao5 


|llll|ll|U|l^ 


T^  tfyift  "'■■*: 


0^  i.'  -*■ 


Hp\^j^  W-\  ^  . 


View  of  Ogdensburg. 

moved  to  Canton.  The  above  view  was  taken  on  the  bank  of  the  Os we- 
gatchie  river,  near  the  ruins  of  the  old  barracks.  The  steeple  seen  on 
the  left  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church  ;  the  one  on  the  extreme 
right  the  old  courthouse ;  the  academy  is  next  to  it ;  and  the  square 
steeple  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  denomination.  The  first  religious 
society  organized  was  the  Presbyterian ;  they  held  their  meetings,  ai 
far  back  as  1811,  in  the  old  courthouse.  In  1819,  they  erected  their 
first  church,  a  few  rods  southwest  of  where  the  present  stone  church 
now  stands.  There  are  here  1  Baptist,  1  Methodist,  1  Episcopal,  1 
Roman  Catholic,  and  1  Presbyterian  church,  besides  a  society  of 
Unitarians. 

The  proximity  of  the  town  to  the  Canada  line  made  it  an  import- 
ant place  during  the  late  war,  and  the  scene  of  several  minor  military 
operations.  The  following  is  extracted  from  Thompson's  History 
of  the  Late  War. 

In  retaliation  for  a  daring  exploit  performed  by  Capt.  ForByth  of  the  rifle  regiment,  in  the 
destruction  of  an  immense  quantity  of  stores,  &c.,  collected  at  the  small  village  of  Ganano. 
que,  in  the  town  of  Leeds,  in  Canada,  "  the  enemy  determined  on  attacking  and  destrof. 
ing  the  town  of  Ogdensburg.  Opposite  to  this  is  situated  the  Canadian  village  of  Prescott, 
before  which  the  British  had  a  strong  line  of  breastworks.  On  the  3d  of  October,  1813, 
they  opened  a  heavy  cannonading  on  the  town  from  their  batteries,  and  continued  to  bom. 
bard  it  with  little  intermission  until  the  night  of  the  3d :  one  or  two  buildings  only  were 
injured.  On  Sunday,  the  4th,  having  prepared  forty  boats,  with  from  ten  to  fifteen  armed 
men  in  each,  they  advaneed  with  six  pieces  of  artillery,  to  storm  the  town.  General  Brown 
commanded  at  Ogdensburg  in  person,  and  when  the  enemy  had  advanced  within  a  short 
distance,  he  ordered  his  troops  to  open  a  warm  lire  upon  them.  The  British,  nevertheleaa, 
steadily  approached  the  shore,  and  kept  up  their  fire  for  two  hours ;  during  which,  they  sub. 
tained  the  galling  fire  of  the  Americans,  until  one  of  their  boats  was  taken,  and  tWo  others 
ao  shattered,  that  their  crews  were  obliged  to  abandon  them ;  they  then  reUnquished  the 
assault  and  fled  to  Prescott.  There  has  been  no  engagement,  perhaps,  which  exhibited 
more  gallantry  on  both  sides.  In  this  attack,  Qen.  Brown  had  under  his  command  about 
400  men,  the  British  1000." 

lac  annexea  account  oi  ine'  taKiu^  oi  tniD  ^lace  on  ine  :<£i3ioi 
February,  1813  is  extracted  from  the  same  source  as  the  above. 

39 


/ 


l¥     ^ 


306 


/. 


■T.   LAWKCNca  OOUNTT. 


\ 


••  The  movement  of  Ab  enemy  et  Preacott  were  indioative  of  an  intention  to  attack  Of 
danaburg.  Colonel  Benedict  waa  therefore  induced  to  call  out  hia  regiment  of  militia,  and 
arrangementa  ware  immediately  made  for  the  defence  of  the  place.  On  the  31it  of  Febru. 
arjr,  the  enemy  appeared  before  it,  with  a  force  of  twelve  hundred  men,  and  succeeded  in 
dnving  out  Captain  Forayth  and  hia  troope.  The  Britiah  attacked  in  two  columiia,  of  aix 
intndred  mon  each,  at  6  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  were  commanded  by  Capt.  M'Donnell 
of  the  Ulengary  light  infantry,  and  Colonel  Fraaer  of  the  Canadian  militia.  The  American 
riflemen  and  militia  received  them  with  firmneaa,  and  contended  for  the  ground  upwarda 
of  an  hour  J  when  the  auperiority  of  numbers  compelled  them  to  abandon  it,  and  to  retreat 
to  Black  Lake,  nearly  nine  miles  from  Ogdensburg,  after  loeing  twenty  men  in  killed  and 
wounded.  The  loaa  of  the  enemy,  from  the  deliberate  coolness  with  which  the  riflemen 
fired,  waa  reputed  to  hove  been  thrice  that  number.  The  Britiah  account,  which  claimed 
the  capture  of  immense  stores,  none  of  which  had  ever  been  depoaited  there,  admitted  the 
loss  of  five  distinguished  officers.  In  consequence  of  this  affair,  a  message  waa  aont  by  tha 
commandant  of  Fort  George,  to  Colonel  M'Feely,  the  commandant  of  Fort  Niagara,  in. 
forming  him  that  a  aalute  would  be  fired  the  next  day  in  honor  of  the  captui^  of  the  Ameri. 
can  village.  Colonel  M'Feely  having  received  intelligence  in  the  course  of  the  same  even- 
ing, of  the  capture  of  his  mtueaty's  frigate  the  Java,  returned  the  message  to  the  British 
commandant,  by  communicating  to  him  hia  intention  of  firing  a  salute,  at  the  same  hour 
from  Fort  Niagara,  in  celebration  of  ihia  brilliant  event." 

*  The  following  additional  particulars  respecting  the  taking  of  Og- 
densburg were  obtained  by  personal  conversation  with  a  resident  at 
that  time.  The  British  landed  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  village,  neai 
some  barracks  occupied  by  a  detachment  of  militia  under  Captain 
Lvtle,  which  he  evacuated  and  then  joined  Col.  Forsyth  at  the  fort. 
The  enemy  marched  up  through  Ford-street,  and  when  the  Ameri- 
cans had  abandoned  the  fort,  they  crossed  over  on  the  ice  opposite 
to  the  Eagle  Hotel.  Besides  the  public  stores  destroyed  by  them, 
they  took  away  a  large  quantity  of  provisions,  &c.,  private  property, 
which  they  were  much  in  need  of,  but  for  which  they  afterwarci  paid 
full  price.  A  barn  is  now  standing  on  the  SE.  side  of  Ford-street, 
near  the  corner  of  Water-street,  where  holes  made  by  grape  shot 
fired  from  the  fort  are  still  to  be  seen.  The  Glengarian  regiment, 
which  was  in  the  attack,  was  quite  celebrated  during  the  military 
operations  on  the  frontier.  This  corps  were  from  the  county  of 
Glengary,  in  Upper  Canada.  Their  religion  was  Catholic,  and  they 
were  the  descendants  of  Scotch  Highlanders. 

The  following  is  a  view  of  Windmill  Point  and  ruins  in  its  vicinity. 
It  is  memorable  as  being  the  spot,  where,  during  the  recent  struggle 
in  Canada,  a  small  body  of  men,  under  the  unfuitunate  Van  Schouftz, 
gallantly  defended  themselves  against  an  overpowering  force  of  Brit- 
ish and  Canadians.  The  following  account  of  this  affair,  usually  termed 
the  "  Battle  of  Prescott,"  is  principally  drawn  from  a  work  recently 
published  by  E.  A.  Theller,  Esq.,  and  entitled  Canada  in  1837-8. 

Early  in  November,  1838,  the  patriots,  (so  called,)  who  had  secretly  rallied  in  clubs  in 
and  about  Syracuse,  Oswego,  Sacketts  Harbor,  Watertown,  Ogdensburg,  French  creek, 
and  at  other  points  on  or  near  the  American  line,  began  to  exhibit  an  intention  of  making  a 
fresh  demonstration  at  some  point  in  Upper  Canada.  About  the  10th,  two  schooners  were 
noticed  as  being  freighted  from  canal  boats,  which  had  come  up  the  Oswego  canal  under 
suspicious  circumstances,  and  to  sail  out  of  the  harbor  in  a  northern  direction.  On  the  12th, 
the  steamboat  United  States,  which  had  been  detained  in  port  by  a  heavy  gale,  sailed  for 
Sacketts  Harbor.  Here  she  took  aboard  about  250  patriots.  The  two  schooners  spoken 
of,  were  next  discovered^ by  the  United  States,  lying  in  the  river  St.  Lawrence;  when 
.iupt,  T  an  ---leve  compiled  irith  the  fcqucsi  of  a.  passenger  of  rcspcciabie  appearance,  to 
take  them  in  tow ;  saying  they  were  loaded  with  merchandise  for  Ogdensburg,  which  he 


\ 


■T.    LAWRENCE   COUNTY. k 


007 


View  of  Windmill  Point,  PrtKott,  U.  C.« 

WM  deairoua  of  getting  into  port  the  next  morning.  Accordingly  tho  Rchoonen  were 
laahed  one  each  side  of  the  steamer.  The  boxes  and  barrels  on  their  decka,  with  just  men 
enough  in  sight  to  navigate  them,  exhibited  no  evidence  of  their  being  other  than  repre- 
sented by  the  passenger.  The  captain  was  soon  undeceived,  by  armed  men  climbing  from 
the  schooners  on  to  his  boat,  to  the  number  of  some  200,  and  he  determined  to  lay  at  Mor- 
ristown,  10  miles  above  Ogdensburg,  and  give  notice  to  the  authorities.  On  arriving  at  that 
neighborhood,  the  patriots,  after  transferring  about  100  of  the  boat's  passengers,  unfastened 
their  vessels,  and  were  found  the  next  morning  at  anchor  in  the  river,  between  Ogdensburg 
and  Prescott,  filled  with  armed  men.  Both  towns  were  now  the  scene  of  excitement;  for 
it  was  evident  that  Fort  Wellington  was  the  point  of  attack,  and  both  shores  were  soon 
thronged  with  citizens.  The  Experiment,  a  British  armed  steamboat,  was  lying  at  the 
Prescott  wharf,  and  by  this  time  the  United  States  had  arrived  at  Ogdensburg.  On  her 
arrival,  the  people,  with  loud  cheers,  rushed  on  board  and  went  to  the  relief  of  one  of  the 
schooners  which  by  accident  had  got  aground  on  the  shoal  in  the  river.  Not  succeeding  in 
reaching  her,  they  returned  to  the  boat  for  a  longer  hawser.  As  she  went  out  again,  the 
Experiment  came  out  and  fired  two  shots,  but  without  effect ;  and  she  passed  down  the 
river  about  a  mile  to  Windmill  Point,  to  the  other  schooner,  which  had  succeeded  in  land, 
ing  her  forces,  and  was  returning  tojake  off  the  men  from  the  grounded  veseel.  The  Ex- 
periment  followed  her,  and  when  the  United  States  was  covering  her  on  her  way  up,  kept 
up  an  irregular  fire  upon  both,  without  effect.  The  United  States  having  seen  the  schooner 
she  was  protecting  anchored  under  the  Ogdensburg  shore,  returned  again  to  Windmill 
Point,  where  William  Johnson  with  small  boats  landed  110  men.  Meantime  the  American 
steam  ferry-boat,  Panl  Pry,  ran  over  to  the  stranded  vessel,  and  hauled  her  off  under  a  brisk 
fire  from  the  Experiment,  which  the  former  returned  with  small.arms,  killing  7  of  the  Ex- 
perimeni's  men,  but  losing  none.  The  United  States  was  now  returning,  and  again  encoun- 
tered the  fire  of  the  Experiment,  breaking  gl^  lights  and  doing  other  flamage.  Those  who 
had  remained  after  the  disembarkation,  about  25  in  number,  stood  upon  the  promenade 
deck  and  cheered  the  discharges  as  they  came.  During  this,  a  shot  passing  through  the 
wheel-house,  killed  Mr.  Solomon  Foster,  a  young  man,  the  helmsman  of  the  boat.  As  the 
United  States  now  weftt  into  port,  she  was  surrendered  to  her  owners,  and  immediately 
seized  by  the  United  States  authorities,  whicji  completed  the  forenoon's  operations. 

"  Commodore  '  Bill  Johnson'  who  had  come  on  to  Ogdensburg  on  tho  retuni  of  the 
United  States,  addressed  '  the  patriots'  present,  urging  and  beseeching  them  to  go  with  him, 
and  join  those  who  had  crossed.  He  succeeded  in  crossing  wjth  tome,  in  one  of  the 
schooners,  at  two  or  three  diffefent  times ;  whilst  most  of  the  afternoop  and  evening  wa« 
occupied  at  Windmill  Point,  by  the  patriots,  fortifying  their  position,  and  preparing  for  tho 
contest.  They  had  taken  possession  of  the  windmill,  and  other  large  stone  buildings,  to  the 
number  of  about  200,  wjiich  were  increased  by  accessions  from  the  small  boats  crossing 
over  in  the  evening.  It  was  seen  that  at  Fort  Wellington  t|}e  British  were  also  engaged 
in  making  preparations ;  but  towards  night  there  was  scarcely  a  living  soul  seen  in  the 
nreets  of  Prescott.    There  was  no  fighting  that  night.    During  the  evening  the  steamboat 


*  The  authors  are  indebted  for  the  above  view  to  Mr.  Ellis,  artist,  of  Ogdensburg. 


308 


/ 


ST.   LAWRENCE    COUNTY. 


Telegraph,  with  Col.  Worth,  of  the  United  Statee  amy,  had  arrived,  accompanied  by  two 
ponipanH«  of  United  State,  troopa,  ar.d  by  Mr.  Garrow,  a  United  State,  inarihal,  who 
iininedmtoly  took  into  custody  all  the  craft  which  had  been  employed  by  the  patriot.,  in- 
eluding  the  United  States,  the  two  .ohoonera,  and  the  Paul  Pry ;  and  made  effectual 
arrangement,  to  out  off  all  further  supplio.  of  men,  arm.,  or  provi.iou.  from  the  patriot 
oarap  ;  after  which,  alt  remained  quiet  during  the  night,  except  the  report  of  cannon  at 
long  interval*  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  13th,  the  Briti.h  armed  .teamen  Cobourir 
*".i  ^. ™7."«'">  .''»«'  »"'ved  at  Prewott  with  troop,  j  and  at  about  7  o'clock,  tliey,  together 
with  the  iiixporiment,  opened  u  diseliarge  of  cannon,  and  commenced  throwing  bomb,  at 
tne  patriot,  at  the  windi.iill,  who  disclmrgod  field-piece,  from  their  battery  on  .bore  in 

'"'"'"•    >i  »!|f"i  S  «•'*''"«''''"  '""'  "^  ^'^  '•''"""*  "'»"«  "'»  «'"!"""  of  the  hill,  in  the  rear 
Of  the  windmill,  for  about  80  or  100  rod.,  and  the  crack  of  the  rifle,  and  mu.keta  made 
one  oontinuou.  roor.     It  appear,  that  by  the  time  the  flring  commenced  in  the  morninir. 
there  were  but  180  of  thorn  who  had  oro«.ed  left  ut  Windmill  Point ;  and  that  when  thev 
were  attttcked  by  land,  in  rear  of  their  poeition,  .ome  53  of  thcNo  fled,  leaving  only  128  to 
face  from  600  to  800  finti.h  regular,  and  volunteer..     After  a  flght  of  about  an  hour,  ac 
cording  to  Phellcr.  account,  the  Hriti.li  were  driven  b«uk  into  IhtMr  fort  with  a  lo...  it  i. 
■upposed,  of  about  100  killed  and  many  wounded.     The  patriot.  I<u.t   .-i   men  and    13 
wounded.     On  the  niorning  of  the  14th  little  wa.  done,  and  the  Uriti.li  having  nent  a  fluir 
of  truce  for  permiHsiou  to  bury  the  dead,  the  request  wa.  granted.    Afterward,  when  the 
patriot.  .e,it  a  flag,  the  bearer  wa.  .hot.     On  the  15th,  the  Briti.h  received  a  reinforce- 
ment  of  400  regulurw,  with  cannon  and  gun-boats,  bv  steamboata  from  Kingston,  and  vol- 
nnteer.  numbering  in  all  about  a,000  ;  who  surrounded  tlie  mill  by  their  gun-lwat.  and 
•teamenion  the  river,  and  by  stationing  cannon  uiid  troop,  on  land;  andlteepinir  up  a 
contmual  cannonading  until  Friday  evening,  when  the  pulriots  .urrendered.     At  5  o'clock 
the  .amo  afternoon,  u  white  flag  was  displayed  from  the  mill,  but  no  attention  being  paid 
to  It,  It  was  finally  fastened  on  the  outside  ;  then  3  or  4  flag,  were  sent  out,  and  the  bear- 
er.  shot  down  as  Mou  as  seen.     Immediately  after  the  surrender,  the  British  burnt  four 
M'T  ..  T..*'"'  '.*•*  barn,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  windmill.     According  to  the  nccount  of 
I  heller,  Jb  patriots  wore  killed,  2  escaped,  and  90  were  made  prLoner. ;  and  of  the  Brit- 
i.h  about  150  men  were  killed  and  20  oflicer.,  among  whom  wa.  Capt.  Drummond     The 
patriot,  were  cominandod  by  Vu„  Schoultz,  a  Polander,  who  hud  loughi  for  the  freedom 
of  111.  native  land,  and  witnessed  her  expiring  agonies  at  ill-fated  Wansaw.     When  driven 
to  desperation,  he  opposed  the  offering  to  the  enemy  the  flag  of  truce,  and  besouirht  hi. 
men  to  rush  u|K)n  the  enemy  and  div  in  the  contest ;  bu:  their  ummnniUon  and  provi.ion. 
were  Mhausted,  and  a  five  days'  fatigue  in  active  night  and  day  defence  had  worn  them 
out  and  made  them  indifferent  to  their  fate.    At  the  trials.  Van  Schoultz  pleaded  guilty 
andwa.  sentenced  to  death,  and  was  executed  Dec.  9th,  1838,  aged  31.    Col.  Dorephu. 

1^/'  7n^""!'!;"'  •'**"^:'  ?""'y '  ^*»'-  M"""  VVoodrufff  of  Salina,  Onondaga 
county,  and  Daniel  George,  and  others,  .iiffered  the  same  fate  with  Von  Schoultz  A 
number  of  othew  were  hnally  relea.ed,  while  the  others  wore  sentenced  to  transportation, 
itfirinST  P  *'•''««""'''«'"  l.^'^o.  had  been  respited  after  their  trials,  and  with 
Mews.  John  C.  Parker,  WaUon,  and  other.,  to  the  number  of  23,  were  sent  to  Enirland. 
and  from  thence,  in  company  with  11  convicted  felons,  were  trauBported  to  Van  Diemeu's 

The  village  of  Canton,  18  miles  from  Ogdensburg,  on  the  Grasse 
nver,  was  made  the  county  seat  in  1828,  previous  to  which  time  the 
courts  were  holden  at  Ogdensburg.  The  village  contains  the  county 
buildings,  an  academy,  5  churches,  and  about  150  dwellings.  This 
village  was  originally  called  "  Foot's  Falls,"  from  Mr.  Stillman  Foot, 
who  came  here  in  the  winter  of  1799,  and  bought  a  mile  square,  com- 
prising m  its  limits  the  site  of  the  village. 

The  village  of  Potsdam,  about  10  miles  NE.  from  Canton,  is 
pleasantly  situated  at  the  falls  of  the  Racket  river,  and  contains  sev- 

A    ^  "'"^^^^'  ^  flourisl""g  ^ademy,  numbering  about  150  pupils. 


and  aboi^t  130  dwellings. 


"\ 


SARATOGA   COUNTY. 


\ 


309 


SARATOGA  COUNTY. 

Saratooa  county  was  taken  from  Albany  in  1791 ;  greatest  length 
N.  and  S.  47,  and  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  30  miles.  Centrally 
distant  from  Albany  36  miles.  "  Its  name  is  supposed  to  be  a  cor- 
ruption of  the  Indian  word  Sah-rah-ka,  or  the  *  sicfe  hill.'  The  great- 
er part  of  the  lands  in  this  tract  were  oricinally  granted  by  the  English 
crown  to  a  company  of  13  individuals,  by  the  title  of  tne  patent  of 
Kayaderosseras.  Smaller  portions  were  included  in  other  patents. 
Thus  Van  Schaick's,  of  an  earlier  date,  included  the  town  of  Water- 
ford  and  adjacent  country.  The  Saratoga  patent  embraced  six  miles 
square  on  the  Hudson  river  north  of  Van  Schaick's  ;  and  the  apple 
patent,  located  on  the  Mohawk,  extended  *  three  miles  back  into  the 
woods,'  towards  Ballston  Lake.  The  first  recorded  £frant  of  lands  in 
the  Kayaderosseras  patent  was  made  in  August,  17(  .,  A  good  por- 
tion of  the  land  is  now  held  under  a  rent  charge  of  from  16  to  20 
cents  an  acre,  derived  originally  from  the  above  patent.  Settlements 
were  made  in  1715  under  that  patent,  and  some  probably  earlier, 
along  the  Hudson,  upon  the  patents  of  Van  Schaick  and  Saratoga ; 
but  there  was  then  none  north  of  Fish  creek,  now  Schuylersville,  and 
few  between  that  and  the  Mohawk.  Until  the  conquest  of  Canada  by 
the  English,  settlements  were  slowly  made.  After  this,  although  rap- 
idly formed,  they  were  confined  some  years  to  the  banks  of  the  Hud- 
son and  Mohawk." 

The  surface  of  the  county  presents  a  broad  diversity,  having  iiie 
Kayaderosseras  and  Palmertown  mountains  in  the  northwest,  and  in 
the  southeast,  sandy  plains,  generally  level,  and  along  the  Hudson 
and  some  of  the  smaller  streams,  extensive  tracts  of  rich  alluvion. 
There  are  several  small  lakes,  the  Irrgest  of  which  are  Saratoga, 
Ballston,  or  the  Long  Lake,  Round  Lake,  Owl  Pond,  &c.  This 
county  is  rich  in  historical  incident.    It  has  20  towns,  viz. :  i 

Edinburg,  Malta,  Saratoga, 

Galway,  Milton,  Saratoga  Springs, 

Greenfield,  Moreau,  Stillwater, 

Hadley,  Northumberland,  Waterford, 

Halfmoon,  Providence,  Vi^ilton. 


Ballston, 
Charlton, 
Clifton  Park, 
Corinth, 
Day, 


The  village  of  Ballston  Spa,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Saratoga  county, 
is  30  miles  N.  from  Albany,  and  7  southwest  from  Saratoga  Springs. 
The  village  is  situated  in  a  valley  suirounded  by  hills,  upon  a  oranch 
of  the  Kayaderosseras  creek,  immediately  aroimd  the  mineral  springs 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town  of  Milton.  The  village  contains 
about  180  dwellings,  3  churches,  a  large  courthouse  of  brick,  and 
other  county  buildings,  2  newspaper  printmg  offices,  a  number  of  ho- 
tels, of  which  the  Sans  Souci  is  the  mosl^prominent.    This  structure 

la  VI  rsrOOu,  iiavilig  S,  xiuiil  ul  i\jv  icci,  aitu    vviiigS   ul    io\J   iCCl,  aiiu   IS 

ihree  stories  high. 


\ 


310 


SARATOGA   COUNTY. 


"  The  mineral  springs  from  which  this  village  derives  its  importance 
and  celebrity,  were  discovered  in  1767.  In  1772,  Mr.  Douglass  erect- 
ed a  small  log-house  here  for  the  accommodation  of  visiters.  During 
the  revolutionary  war  settlements  in  this  part  of  the  country  were  sus- 
pended, but  about  1790  Mr.  Douglass  enlarged  his  accommodations. 
In  1804,  Nicholas  Low,  Esq.,  raised  the  well-known  Sans  Souci  hotel. 
In  1807,  several  other  springs,  and  in  1817,  four  springs  of  differ- 
ent qualities,  were  found  near  the  great  manufactory  built  by  Mr 
Low. 

"  The  spring  in  the  rear  of  the  Sans  Souci,  and  that  in  the  rear  of 
the  village  hotel,  and  the  original  spring  at  the  west  of  the  village,  con- 
tain, as  essential  ingredients,  the  carbonates  of  soda,  of  lime,  iron,  and 
magnesia ;  the  tonic  qualities  of  the  iron,  and  the  sparkling  and  enli- 
vening influence  of  the  fixed  air  that  they  possess  in  an  extraordinary 
degree,  have  a  wonderful  effect  upon  enervated,  bilious,  and  debilitated 
constitutions. 

The  use  of  the  mineral  waters  here  and  at  Saratoga  is  especially 
beneficial  in  all  those  affections  termed  bilious  and  dyspeptic,  in  cal- 
culous and  nephritic  complaints,  in  chronic  rheumatism,  gout,  in  ulcers 
and  cutaneous  disorders,  scrofula,  in  mercurial  diseases  and  strumous 
affections,  in  recent  dropsy,  paralysis,  chlorosis,  &c." 

The  village  of  Saratoga  Springs  is  181  miles  from  New  York,  36i 
from  Albany,  and  6^  from  Ballston  Spa.  It  is  located  in  a  fertile 
country,  and  contains  6  churches,  several  literary  institutions,  and  about 
2,000  inhabitants.  This  place  derives  its  attractions  from  its  medicinal 
springs.  These  are  situated  on  the  margin  of  a  vale,  bordering  the 
village  on  the  east,  and  are  the  continuation  of  a  chain  of  springs  dis- 
covering themselves  about  12  miles  to  the  south,  in  the  town  of  Balls- 
ton.  The  springs  in  this  vicinity  are  18  or  20  in  number,  the  principal 
ot  which  are  the  Congress,  the  Iodine  or  Walton,  Putnam's,  the  Mon- 
roe, the  Hamilton,  the  Flat  Rock,  the  High  Rock,  the  Columbian,  and 
the  Washington.  A  new  spring  has  lately  been  discovered,  whose 
waters  are  gaming  high  favor  with  the  public,  and  are  said  to  be  bene- 
ficial  m  consumption.  The  hotels  in  this  place  are  numerous,  and 
some  of  them  truly  elegant,  built  in  good  taste,  with  spacious  piazzas, 
and  yards  ornamented  with  shrubbery.  The  facility  with  which  it  is 
visited,  by  railroads  from  Albany  and  Troy,  with  other  thoroughfares, 
together  with  the  numerous  attractions  of  the  place,  has  rendered 
Saratoga  the  summer  resort  of  thousands  from  all  parts  of  our  wide- 
spread country. 

The  Saratoga  and  Schenectady  railroad  extends  from  Schenecta- 
^  to  this  place,  a  distance  of  2|  miles  ;  running  through  the  village  of 
Ballston  Spa,  where  it  forms  a  junction  with  the  Rensselaer  and  Sara- 
toga railroad,  extending  to  the  city  of  Troy.  It  was  opened  for  public 
use  in  July,  1832.  r  f 

The  town  of  Saratoga  is  thstinguished  in  the  history  of  the  Ameri- 
can revolution  as  being  the  place  of  the  surrender  of  Burffovne. 
&chuylerville,  which  is  the  principal  village  in  the  town,  lies  on  tlie 


** 


SARATOGA   COUNTY. 


311 


Ghamplain  canal  near  the  mouth  of  Fish  creek,  which  here  flows  into 
the  Hudson,  and  consists  of  about  100  dwellings,  3  churches — 1  Dutch 
Reformed,  1  Baptist,  and  1  Methodist — and  an  academv,  with  several 
mills  and  factories.  ~  , 


Schuyler  mansion-house^  Schuykrville. 

The  above  is  a  view  of  the  mansion  of  the  late  Gen.  Schuyler,  in 
Schu^lerville,  which  was  built  a  short  time  after  his  house  and  mills 
at  this  place  were  destroyed  by  the  army  under  General  Burgoyne 
in  1777.  This  dwelling,  the  residence  of  George  Strover,  Esq.,  is  a 
short  distance  south  of  the  spot  where  Burgoyne  surrendered  his 
sword  to  General  Gates.  After  the  battle  at  Stillwater,  Oct.  7th,  he 
made  an  attempt  to  effect  his  retreat  back  to  Fort  Edward,  but  was 
unable  to  proceed  any  further  than  the  mouth  of  Fish  creek,  where 
he  was  hemmed  in  by  the  American  forces.  The  following  account 
relative  to  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  is  from  the  2d  volume  of  Al- 
len's American  Revolution : —  | 

"  Previous  to  the  action  of  the  7th,  General  Gates,  anticipating  the  retreat  of  the  enemy, 
had  ordered  Brigadier  General  Fellows,  with  1,300  men,  to  cross  the  river,  and  take  post 
on  the  heights  opposite  the  Saratoga  ford,  supposing  that  he  might  be  able  to  reinforce  him 
before  Burgoyne  could  reach  the  place.  But  the  retreat  of  the  British  army  being  earlier 
than  he  expected,  and  the  circumstances  before  related  preventing  him  from  pursuing  imme. 
diately  with  the  main  army,  or  sending  off  any  considerable  detachment.  General  Fellows 
was  placed  in  a  critical  situation,  and  nothing  saved  his  detachment  from  destruction  or 
capturfe,  but  the  very  slow  movements  of  Burgoyne,  occasioned  by  a  heavy  rain  during  the 
night  of  the  8th,  and  the  badness  of  the  roads,  which  compelled  him  to  halt  at  Davocote, 
so  that  he  did  not  reach  Saratoga  until  the  morning  of  the  9th.  By  this  time  General  Fel. 
lows  had  received  orders  to  recross  the  river  and  endeavor  to  oppose  their  passage,  which 
he  did  just  as  the  front  of  the  British  army  entered  Saratogfi,  and  in  time  to  post  himself 
ad  fantageously  on  the  opposite  bank  of  tjie  river.  On  the  evening  before,  his  camp  was 
80  entirely  unguarded,  that  Lieutenant-colonel  Southerland,  who  had  been  sent  forward 
by  Burgoyne  to  reconnoitre,  marched  around  it  without  meeting  with  a  sentinel,  and  was 
so  strongly  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  he  could  surprise  him,  that  he  solicited  per- 
mission  to  attack  him  with  his  single  regiment ;  and  it  was  perhaps  fortunate  for  General 
Fellows  that  Burgoyne  refused. 

"  In  the  mean  time  several  other  bodies  of  militia  were  posted,  to  intercept  the  retreat 
of  Burgoyne,  in  various  directions,  and  one  detachment  was  ordered  to  march  immediately 
to  Fort  Edward,  and  take  possession  before  any  part  of  Burgoyne's  troops  could  reach  it. 
A  rain  on  the  IQth  "ravented  General  Gates  from  marching  until  the  afternoon;  When 
the  front  of  the  army  reached  Saratoga,  about  4  o'clock,  the  British  were  encamped  on  th« 


31'. 


BAHATOIJA    CltUNTY. 


hinghts  beyond  Uie  Fishkill,  [Fish  creek :]  their  boats  lay  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  and  a 
Jatigue  party  were  at  work  in  removing  the  bBgguge  fro,n  the  creek  to  the  heighta.  Ge. 
neral  bellows  with  his  corps  were  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  with  a  couple  of  smaU 
tield-piecea  on  thg  plain,  playing  upon  the  enemy's  fatigue  party.  General  Gates  on  his 
amval  poeted  the  army  in  several  hues  on  the  heights,  about  a  mUe  in  the  rear  of  the  Fish. 
Rill,  with  Colonel  Morgan's  corps  in  front.  Under  the  idea  that  the  enemy  would  retreat 
in  the  night,  General  Gates  gave  orders  that  the  army  should  advance  at  reveillee  in  the 
morning  of  the  11th.  A  small  detachment  had  been  sent  off  by  Burgoyne  to  possess  them- 
selves  of  Fort  Edward  but  finding  it  occupied  by  the  Americans,  had  returned  to  cam?: 
the  movement  of  this  detachment  had  given  rise  to  the  information  which  deceived  Gene- 
«L„,  ViT  Ae  whole  British  army  had  moved  off,  leaving  a  small  guard  only  in  the 
camp  to  take  care  of  he  baggage  and  stores.  Upon  this  intelligence  it  was  determined  to 
attack  the  camp  early  m  the  morning;  and  Brigadier^enerale  Nixon  and  Glover  were 
ordered  to  cross  the  creek  with  their  brigades  for  this  purpose. 

"Colonel  Morgan  advancing  with  his  corps  at  daylight  agreeably  to  orders,  fell  in  with 
the  enemy's  picket,  by  whom  he  was  fired  upon,  and  lost  a  lieutenant  and  several  privrtes 
Th«  induced  him  to  suppose  that  the  enemy  had  not  moved  as  supposed,  in  which  case  his 
situation  would  be  extremely  critical,  as  the  fog  was  so  thick  that  nothing  could  be  «en  a1 

Sh  theToulT'T  rt 'i  "  ""'""f^  "''^  ^f  *"  •>'«  ""•  ••«*  J'^  ^"  unacq^fnted 
with  the  grounds.    In  this  dilemma  he  was  met  by  the  Deputy  Adjutant^eneral,  Colonel 
Wilkinson,  who  had  been  sent  out  by  the  general  for  the  purple  of  reconnoitring;   WU 
kinson  returned  immediately  to  communicate  this  intelligence  to  the  general,  and  Patter' 
son^s  and  Learned's  brigades,  both  under  the  command  of^the  latter,  wire  sent  to  the   up! 
port  of  Morgan.    In  the  mean  time  the  whole  army  had  advanced  as  far  as  the  ridge 
between  the  church  and  General  Schuyler's  house,  where  they  halted.    Generals  Nkon 
and  Glover  were  in  advance,  marching  according  to  orders  to  the  attack  of  the  camo 
Nixon  had  already  crossed  the  creek,  and  Glover  was  preparing  to  follow  him,  when  He 
serter  from  the  enem;  was  observed  fording  the  creek,  from  whom  information  was  received 
tha  Burgoyne  with  his  whole  army  was  still  in  his  camp.    This  was  confirme'd  by  S 

rnCr  ."■'■' r"Tl""^.r^'''  "^  "  '^^''"""  °"*^  35  men,  by  the  advance  guard  of  50 
under  Captain  Goodale  of  Putnam's  regiment,  who  discovered  them  through  the  fog  ji^t  a^ 
he  reached  the  bank  of  the  creek,  and  making  a  resolute  charge  upon  ^em,  tooVXm 
w  thout  finng  a  gun.  The  general  was  at  this  time  a  mile  in  the  rear,  and  before  thb 
intelligence  could  be  commumcated  to  him,  and  orders  received  for  the  two  brigades  to 
u^^rtS.r"TK*'  T'"'^"  fog  cleared  up,  and  exposed  to  view  the  whole  British  a^y 
under  arms.    A  heavy  fire  of  arullery  and  small-arms  was  immediately  opened  upon  X 

c™!j'Tf '  T^'*'  T  '"  "^^"^''"'  "."l*''"y  '■^^^'''^'l  ^  considerable  disorder  across  thJ 
creek,  with  a  tnfling  loss,  and  resumed  their  position. 

••General  Learned  had  in  the  mean  Ume  reached  Morgan's  corps  with  his  two  brigades 
and  was  advancing  rapidly  to  the  attack,  in  obedience  to  a  standing  order  whkh  had  been 
m,ed  the  day  betore,  • -P  .at  in  case  of  an  attack  against  any  pointf  whether  front,  flank  or 
rea^,  the  troops  are  to  fall  on  the  enemy  at  all  quartets.'  He  had  arrived  within  200  JardI 
of  Burgoyne's  strongest  post,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  would  have  been  eZged  unde? 
great  disadvantages  when  Colonel  Wilkinson  reached  him  with  intelligence  thaf  our  right 
Bad  given  way,  and  that  ,t  would  be  prudent  for  him  to  retreat.  Bein|  without  authority 
from  the  general  to  order  it,  the  brave  old  general  hesitated  to  obey,  in  opposition  to  ffi 
KiT^,  ^Jlrf^f"""'  Lieutenanucolonels  Brooks  and  Tupper  and  some  othe?  officeVcom! 
^fnf/h  ?  aT-'^J"^  ^^l^'  ""'^  "^^  proposition  to  retreat  was  approved.  The  mo. 
?r„  f  V""***  their  backs,  the  enemy,  who  had  been  calmly  expecting  their  advarc^ 

TIIa  Sn.?r,f"'*'"-,^'''"\T  •='*"'^""'"* .""'"  *«y  ^«^«  '">»«»'«d  by  L  wood     They 
repeated  about  half  a  mile,  with  Morgan  on  their  left,  and  encamped  in  a  strong  posHon 
which  they  held  untif  the  surrender  of  the  British  army."  ^  ^  ' 

Cta  the  14th  of  October,  Gen.  Burgoyne  sent  Major  Kinffston  to 
the  head-quarters  of  Gen.  Gates  with  a  proposition  for  "  a  cessation 
oi  arms,  dflnnff  the  time  necessary  to  communicafe  the  preliminary 
terms,  by  which  m  any  extremity  he  and  the  army  mean  to  abide." 
tren.  Gates  had  already  prepared  a  schedule  of  the  terms  upon  which 
he  was  willing  to  treat.  This  schedule  evinced  that  he  was  well  ac- 
quamted  with  the  distresses  of  the  British,  and  was  drawn  up  in  terms 
of  extreme  liberality.  To  the  9th  article  of  Gen.  Burgoyne's  prono- 
suion,  Gen.  Gates  aitixed  the  following  answer :  ~  ' 


■"•' 


SARATOGA  COUNTY. 


313 


•• « The  capitulation  to  be  iiniBhed  by  2  o'clock,  thit  day,  the  15th,  and  the  troops  march 
from  their  encampment  at  5,  and  be  in  readiness  to  move  towards  Boston  to-morrow  mom> 
ing.'  These  preliminary  articles  and  their  answers  being  sent  to  General  Burgoyne,  pro- 
duced the  immediate  return  of  his  messenger  with  the  following  note.  ♦  The  eight  fint 
preliminary  articles  of  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne's  proposals,  and  the  9d,  3d,  and  4th 
of  those  of  Major-general  Gates  of  yesterday,  being  agreed  to,  the  formatioti  of  the  pro- 
posed  treaty  is  out  of  dispute,  but  the  several  subordinate  articles  and  regulations  necessa. 
rily  springing  from  these  preliminaries,  and  requiring  explanations  and  precision,  between 
the  parties,  before  a  definitive  treaty  can  be  safely  executed,  a  longer  time  than  that  men. 
tioned  by  General  Gates  in  his  answer  to  the  9th  article,  becomes  indispensably  necessary. 
Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne  is  willing  to  appoint  two  officers  immediately  to  meet  two 
others  from  Major-general  Gates  to  propound,  discuss,  and  settle  those  subordinate  articles, 
in  order  that  the  treaty  in  due  form  may  be  executed  as  soon  as  possible.' " 

This  meeting  took  place  on  the  afternoon  of  the  15th,  and  the 
parties  mutually  signed  articles  of  capitulation,  or  convention,  as  Gen. 
Burgoyne  wished  to  have  it  designated.  A  copy  of  the  convention 
was  to  be  signed  by  Gen.  Burgoyne  and  delivered  the  next  morning. 
The  following  are  the  articles  of  convention. 

Articles  of  Convention  between  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne  and  Major-general  Gates. 

"  Ist.  The  troops  under  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne  to  march  out  of  their  camp  with 
the  honors  of  war,  and  the  artillery  of  the  entrenchments,  to  the  verge  of  the  river  where 
the  old  fort  stood,  where  the  arms  and  artillery  are  to  be  left ;  the  arms  to  be  piled  by  word 
of  command  from  their  own  officers. 

"  2d.  A  free  passage  to  be  granted  to  the  army  under  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne  to 
Great  Britain,  on  condition  of  not  serving  again  in  North  America  during  the  present  con- 
test ;  and  the  port  of  Boston  is  assigned  for  the  entry  of  transports  to  receive  the  troops, 
whenever  General  Howe  shall  so  order. 

"  3d.  Should  any  cartel  take  place,  by  which  the  army  under  General  Burgoyne,  or  any 
part  of  it,  may  be  exchanged,  the  foregoing  article  to  be  void  as  far  as  such  exchange  shall 
be  made. 

"  4ih.  The  army  under  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne,  to  march  to  Massachusetts  Bay, 
by  the  easiest,  most  expeditious,  and  convenient  route ;  and  to  be  quartered  in,  near,  or  as 
convenient  as  possible  to  Boston,  that  the  march  of  the  troops  may  not  be  delayed,  when 
the  transports  arrive  to  receive  them. 

"  5th.  The  troops  to  be  supphed  on  their  march,  and  during  their  being  in  quarters,  with 
provisions,  by  General  Gates'  orders,  at  the  same  rate  of  rations  as  the  troops  of  his  own 
army ;  and  if  possible  the  officers'  horses  and  cattle  are  to  be  supplied  with  forage  at  the 
usual  rates. 

"  6th.  All  officers  to  retain  their  carriages,  batt-horses  and  other  cattle,  and  no  baggage 
to  be  molested  or  searched ;  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne  giving  his  honor  that  there  are 
no  public  stores  secreted  therein.  Major-general  Gates  will  of  course  take  the  necessary 
ireasures  for  the  due  performance  of  tiiis  article.  Should  any  carriages  be  wanted  during 
the  march,  for  the  transportation  of  officers'  baggage,  they  are,  if  possible,  to  be  supplied  by 
the  country  at  the  usual  rates. 

•'  7th.  Upon  the  march,  and  during  the  time  the  army  shall  remain  in  quarters  m  Massa- 
chusetts  Bay,  the  officers  are  not  as  far  as  circumstances  will  admit  to  be  separated  from 
their  men.  The  officers  are  to  be  quartered  according  to  ranky  and  are  not  to  be  hindered 
fi-om  assembling  their  men  for  roll-call  and  other  necessary  purposes  of  regularity. 

"  8th.  All  corps  whatever  of  General  Burgoyne's  army,  whether  composed  of  sailors, 
batteauxmen,  artificers,  drivers,  independent  companies,  and  followers  of  the  army,  of 
whatever  country,  sh'all  be  included  in  the  fullest  sense  and  utmost  extent  in  the  above  ar- 
tides,  and  comprehended  in  every  respect  as  British  subjects. 

"  9th.  All  Canadians,  and  persons  belonging  to  the  Canadian  establishment,  consisting 
of  sailors,  batteauxmen,  artificers,  drivers,  independent  companies,  and  many  other  follow, 
ers  of  the  army,  who  come  under  no  particular  description,  are  to  be  permitted  to  return 
there  ;  they  are  to  be  conducted  immediately  by  the  shortest  route  to  the  first  British  post 
on  Lake  George,  are  to  be  supplied  with  provisions  in  Ha",  same  manner  as  the  other  troops, 
and  are  to  be  bound  by  the  same  condition  of  not  serving  diuing  the  present  contest  in 
North  America. 

"  10th.  Passports  to  be  immediately  granted  for  three  officers  not  exceeding  the  rank  of 
captains,  who  shall  be  appointed  by  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne,  to  carry  despatches  to 

40 


% 


\ 


-"••s... 


314 


SARATOGA   COUNTY. 


Sir  William  Howe,  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  and  to  Great  Britain,  by  the  way  of  New  York .  and 
Major^eneral  Gates  engageit  the  public  faith,  that  these  despatches  shaU  not  be  opened, 
lliese  oftcers  are  to  set  out  immediately  after  receiving  their  despatches,  and  are  to  travel 

4.'ii    '**  ™"'®'  '"    '"  *''*  """"  expeditious  manner. 

"  nth.  During  the  stay  of  the  troops  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  the  officers  are  to  be  ad- 

.MO  °"  P"°'^'  ""^  """o  to  be  allowed  to  wear  their  side-arms, 
.u  •     t  .u-   "'•*  ''j®  "f^y  ""''®'"  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne  find  it  necessary  to  send  for 
their  clothing  and  other  baggage  to  Canada,  they  are-«o  be  permitted  to  do  it  in  the  most 
convenient  manner,  and  the  necessary  passports  granted  for  that  purpose. 

13.  These  articles  are  to  be  mutually  signed  and  exchanged  to-morrow  morning,  at  9 

0  clock,  and  the  troops  under  Lieutenanugeneral  Burgoyne  are  to  march  out  of  their  entrench. 
snentB  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

(Signed)  "  Horatio  Gates,  Major-general. 
"  Saratoga,  Oct.  16th,  1777.  (Signed)  «'  J.  Burooyne,  Lieutenant-general. 

"  To  prevent  arfy  doubts  that  might  arise  from  Lieutenant-general  Burgoyne's  name  not 
being  mentioned  m  the  above  treaty.  Major-general  Gates  hereby  declares,  that  he  is  un. 
derstood  to  be  comprehended  in  it,  as  fully  as  if  his  name  had  been  specifically  mentioned. 

"  Horatio  Gates." 

"  The  brass  artillery  captured  from  Burgoyne  at  various  times  during  the  campaign. 

STin  f  5''r- '  ™«  nnn  "/ """  "/  ""^  '"°'"  ^'^g""'  trains  ever  brought  into  The 
field  5,000  stand  of  arms,  6,000  dozen  of  cartridges ;  and  a  number  of  ammunition  wagons. 
IraveUing  forges,  shot,  carcasses,  shells,  &c.,  also  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans! 

1  he  whole  number  of  troops  surrendered  by  the  convention  amounted  to  5,763.  which 
added  to  the  number  killed,  i^-.j„:ided,  and  captured,  in  the  several  actions  previous  to  the 
17th  October,  amounting  to  near  5,000,  makes  Burgoyne's  total  loss  of  upwards  of  ten 
thousand  men, 

"On  the  morning  of  the  17th  the  troops  of  Burgoyne  were  marched  out  of  their  camp  to 
the  plain  near  the  nver,  where  their  arms  were  deposited ;  and  the  victorious  Americans 
took  possession  of  their  hnes." 

The  annexed  cut  is  a  copy 
of  the  signature  of  General 
Burgoyne,  attached  to  the 
articles  of  the  convention 
now  in  possession  of  the 
New  York  Historical  So- 
ciety. 

Fac-iimile  of  Oen.  Burgoynt'i  ngruUurt. 

General  Wilkinson's  account  of  the  interview  between  Gates  and 
Burgoyne  on  the  field  of  surrender  is  interesting. 

"Early  in  the  morning  of  the  17lh,  I  visited  General  Burgoyne  in  his  camp,  and  accom. 
panied  fim  to  the  ground,  where  his  army  was  to  lay  down  their  arms,  from  whence  we 
rode  to  the  bank  of  the  Hudson  river,"  which  he  surveyed  with  attention,  and  asked  me 
whether  "  wat,  not  fordable.  'Certainly,  sir;  but  do  you  observe  the  people  on  the  oppo. 
Bite  shore  ?'  '  Yes,'  replied  he,  •  I  have  seen  them  too  long.'  He  then  proposed  to  be  in. 
troduced  to  General  Gates,  and  we  crossed  the  Fishkill,  and  proceeded  to  head-quartere. 
Ceneral  Burgoyne  m  front,  with  his  adjutant-general  Kingston,  and  his  aids-de-camp  Cap! 
torn  Lord  Petershain,  and  Lieutenant  Wilford  behind  him;  then  followed  Major-general 
f  Jii  ips,  the  Baron  Reidesel,  and  the  other  general  officers,  and  their  suites,  according  to 
rank,  treneral  Gates,  advised  of  Burgoyne's  approach,  met  him  at  the  head  of  l.;r<  camp 
Burgoyne  m  a  nch  royal  uniform,  and  Gates  in  a  plain  blue  frock;  when  tin-v  had  ap! 
preached  nearly  within  sword's  length,  they  reined  up,  and  halted.  I  then  natnej  the  gen. 
Hemen,  and  teneral  Burgoyne,  rniping  his  hat  most  gracefully,  said  'The  foriune  of  war 
General  Gates,  has  made  me  your  prisoner;'  to  which  the  conqueror,  re.,  r.ing  a  courtly 
8alute,promptly  replied, 'I  shall  aiwr,vr J  be  ready  to  bear  testimony,  ihu  n  \.m  not  been 
through  any  fault  of  your  excellency.'  Major-general  Phillips  then  adva...  -d,  and  he  and 
General  Gates  saluted,  and  shook  hands  with  the  familiarity  of  old  BcqiiEjLiflnces.  The 
Baron  Reidesel,  and  the  other  officers,  Wsre  introduced  in  their  turn." 


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■AEATOOA  COUMTY. 


315 


"Om.  Pmtir  Sohotlir  wm 
born  at  Albany,  in  1731,  of  an 
anc'wnt  and  respectable  family. 
When  quite  young  he  became  a 
member  of  the  New  York  legiria- 
ture,  and  was  eminent  for  hia  in- 
telligence and  uaefuineaa.  To  him 
mte-timUe  of  PkUip  Sck%yler'$  lignatun.  g^^  Grovernor  Clinton  it  was  chief- 

S^  the  northern  departmen  8.    He  gave  much  attention  to  the  superintendence  of  the  In- 
dian concMns    On  the  approach  of^Burgoyne,  in  1777,  he  made  every  exertion  to  obstruot 
SrpZeeTburthe  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga  by  St.  Clair,  «><=7'?"'"K  """r'"^  » 
ieffies  in 'regard  to  Schuyler,  in  New  England,  he  was  Buperseded  by  Gen.  Gates  m 
AuZ-  and  an  inquiry  was  directed  by  congress  to  be  made  into  his  conduct.    He  was 
aftema;d  Sough  not  in  the  regular  service,  very  useful  to  his  country  m  the  military 
UaXuon    of  !?ew  York.    He  was  a  member  of  the  old  congress  ;  and  when  the  pres- 
Xov  ~t  °f  The  United  States  commenced  iU  operadon  -  1789,  he  was  appomt^d 
«  B..Sator  in  the  national  legislature.    He  was  chosen  a  second  time  in  1797,  to  the  same 
statTon       n  the  senate  of  New  York,  he  contributed  probably  more  than  any  other  m«i 
to  the  code  of  laws  adopted  by  the  state.    He  died  at  his  seat  near  Albany.  Nov.  18, 
1804  in  the  73d  year  of  his  age.     He  possessed  great  strength  of  mind,  and  purity  of  m- 
Jenin     In  the  contrivance  of  plans  of7«bUc  utility,  he  was  wise  and  circumspect,  and 
n  tS  execution,  enterprising  and  persevering.    In  his  "J^P-rt"?*"  ,»;? ''^^Sf  "J  ""^ 
courteoul    He  was  a  pleasant  and  instructive  companion,  and  m  all  the  functions  of  pn- 
vate  life  was  highly  exemplary."— Encyctojpeiio  Americana. 


Western  view  of  the  battle-ground,  Stillwater. 

The  town  of  Stillwater  is  distinguished  in  history  as  being  the  bat- 
tle-ground of  the  armies  of  Generals  Gates  aftd  Burgoyne  m  which 
the  army  of  the  latter  general  was  signally  repulsed,  and  torced  to 
retire  from  the  field  of  action. 

The  above  shows  the  appearance  of  the  battle-ground  on  free- 
man's farm,  as  seen  from  near  the  front  of  Mr.  J.  Walker  s  house,  2^ 
miles  from  Pattison's  tavern,  and  about  2  miles  from  Hudson  nver. 


316 


i 


SARATOGA   COUNTY. 


Freeman's  house  stood  a  few  feet  south  of  the  southernmost  building 
seen  in  the  engraving ;  the  line  of  trees  or  woods  seen  behind  the 
buildings  is  the  spot  where  Burgoyne  formed  his  line  on  the  brow 
of  the  elevated  plain  previous  to  the  battle  of  Sept.  19th;  Willard's 
mountain  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  is  seen  in  the  distance. 
About  15  rods  south  from  Mr.  Walker's  house,  in  what  then  was 
called  a  meadow,  is  the  spot  where  Gen.  Frazer  was  mortally 
wounded ;  it  is  a  little  west  of  a  road  running  N.  and  S.  which  has 
since  been  made  near  this  place.  About  60  rods  in  a  SW.  direction 
was  the  hottest  of  the  dght,  on  the  7th  of  October.  Near  the  place 
where  Frazer  fell,  a  hole  or  grave  was  dug,  into  which  the  bodies  of 
40  soldiers  were  thrown,  after  being  stripped  of  their  clothing  by 
the  women  of  the  camp.  Maj.  Ackland  was  wounded  a  little  east 
of  the  present  road.  The  following  account  of  the  battles  is  drawn 
from  various  sources. 

"  The  army  arrived  at  Stillwater  on  the  9th  of  September,  fully  determined  to  face  the 
foe,  and  if  necessary  pursue  him  into  his  own  confines.  This  was  at  first  supposed  to  be 
an  eligible  position  for  throwing  up  a  line  of  intrenchments,  and  a  large  party  under  the 
engineer  Kosciusko  were  accordingly  set  to  work  for  that  purpose.  But  upon  a  more  nar- 
row  inspection  of  the  grounds,  the  general  determined  to  change  his  position,  and  occupy 
Bemus's  heights,  which  were  taken  possession  of  and  fortified  on  tka  12;h.  Burgoyne  at 
Ujis  time  lay  opposite  to  Saratoga,  occupying  old  Fort  Miller  and  Battenkill ;  but  what  were 
his  further  intentions.  Gen.  Gates  had  no  means  of  judging.  In  this  situation  the  deputy 
^  adjutantHgeneral,  Col.  James  Wilkinson,  volunteered  to  head  a  select  reconnoitring  party, 
and  obtain  if  possible  the  desired  information.  He  left  the  camp  with  170  men,  under  cover 
of  a  dark  night,  and  arrived  by  daylight  at  DaVocote,  about  two  miles  from  Saratoga.  Here 
if  P/**.'*'^  ^^^  greater  part  of  his  men  in  a  wood  near  the  road,  and  proceeded  himself  to 
the  heights  of  Fish  creek ;  from  which  position  he  discovered  a  column  of  the  enemy  drawn 
up  under  arms,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  creek,  within  300  yards  of  him,  and  another 
column  under  march,  descending  the  heights  below  Battenkill.  Being  satisfied  from  these 
circumstances  that  Gen.  Burgoyne  was  advancing,  Col.  Wilkinson  returned  to  camp  with 
fais  party,  bringing  with  him  three  prisoners,  who  confirmed  the  intelligence. 

"On  the  15th,  Gen.  Burgoyne  having  crossed  the  river  some  days  before,  had  advanced 
as  ftr  as  Davocote,  where  he  halted  24  hours  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  the  bridges  and 
roads  in  his  advance,  for  the  more  convenient  march  of  his  army.  On  the  18th,  Gen.  (^  •- 
nold  was  sent  out  with  1,500  men,  to  harass  and  impede  him,  but  returned  without  accom- 
pushing  any  thing ;  Burgoyne  continuing  his  march  until  he  had  arrived  within  2  miles  of 
r^f,"'„9^'*^'*  """"P*  '^^'■^  ^^  encamped  in  a  line  extending  from  the  river  to  a  range  of 
hills  600  yards  distant,  and  upon  which  were  posted  the  elite  of  his  army.  The  position 
occupied  by  Gen.  Gates,  as  described  by  an  eye-witness,  and  one  who  knew  it  well,  was 
as  follows :— •  His  right  occupied  the  brow  of  the  hill  near  the  river,  with  which  it  was  con- 
nected  by  a  deep  intrenchment ;  his  camp  in  the  form  of  a  segment  of  a  great  circle,  the 
convex  towards  the  enemy,  extended  rather  obliquely  to  his  rear,  about  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  to  a  knoll  occupied  by  his  left ;  his  front  was  covered  from  the  right  to  the  left  of  his 
centre,  by  a  sharp  ravine  running  parallel  with  his  line,  and  closely  wooded  ;  from  thence  ' 
to  the  knoll  at  his  extreme  left,  the  ground  was  level  and  had  been  partially  cleared,  some 
of  the  trees  being  felled,  and  others  girdled  ;  beyond  which,  in  front  of  his  left  flank,  and 
extending  to  the  enemy's  right,  there  were  several  small  fields  in  very  imperfect  cultivation, 
the  surface  broken  and  obstructed  with  stumps  and  fallen  timber,  and  the  whole  bounded 
on  the  west  by  a  steep  eminence.  The  extremities  of  this  camp  were  defended  by  strong 
batteries,  and  the  interval  was  strengthened  by  a  breastwork  without  intrenchments,  con. 
Btructed  of  the  bodies  of  felled  trees,  logs  and  rails,  with  an  additional  battery  at  an  open- 
mg  left  of  the  centre.  The  right  was  almost  impracticable ;  the  left  difficult  of  approach.' " 
— Allen's  Rev. 

While  in  this  position,  the  battle  of  the  19th  Sept.  took  place ;  the 
following  account  of  which  is  from  Gen.  Wilkinson's  Memoirs. 

"  This  battle  was  perfectly  accidental ;  neither  of  the  generals  meditated  an  attack  at 
the  time,  and  buj  for  Lieut.  Col.  Goibum^s  report,  it  would  not  have  taken  place ;  Bur- 


■1 


\ 


SARATOGA   COUNTY. 


317 


goyne's  movement  being  merely  to  take  ground  on  the  heighta  in  front  of  the  great  ravine, , 
to  give  his  several  corps  their  proper  places  in  line,  to  embrace  our  front  and  cover  his 
trunsport,  stores,  provisions,  and  baggage,  in  the  rear  of  his  left ;  and  on  our  side,  the  de< 
fences  of  our  camp  being  not  half  completed,  and  reinforcements  daily  arriving,  it  was  not 
Gen.  Gates's  policy  to  court  an  action.  The  misconception  of  thu  adverse  chiefs  put  them 
on  the  defensive,  and  confined  them  to  the  ground  they  casually  occupied  at  the  beginning 
of  the  action,  (ind  prevented  a  single  manoeuvre,  during  one  of  the  longest,  warmest,  and 
most  obstinate  battles  fought  in  America. 

"  The  theatre  of  action  was  such,  that  although  the  combatants  changed  ground  a  dozen 
times  in  the  course  of  the  day,  the  contest  terminated  on  the  spot  where  it  began.  The 
British  line  was  formed  on  an  eminence  in  a  thin  pine  wood,  having  before  it  Freeman'a 
farm,  an  oblong  field,  stretching  from  its  centre  towards  its  right,  the  ground  in  front  sloping 
gently  down  to  the  verge  of  this  field,  which  was  bordered  on  the  opposite  side  by  a  close 
wood.  The  sanguinary  scene  lay  in  the  cleared  ground,  between  the  eminence  occupied 
by  the  enemy,  and  the  wood  just  described.  The  fire  of  our  marksmen  from  this  wood 
was  too  deadly  to  be  withstood  by  the  enemy  in  line,  and  when  they  gave  way  and  broke, 
our  men,  rushing  from  their  covert,  pursued  them  to  the  eminence,  where,  having  their 
flanks  protected,  they  rallied,  and,  charging  in  turn,  drove  us  back  into  the  wood,  from 
whence  a  dreadful  fire  would  again  force  them  to  fall  back ;  and  in  this  manner  did  the 
battle  fluctuate,  like  the  waves  of  a  stormy  sea,  with  alternate  advantage  for  four  hours, 
without  one  moment's  intermission.  The  British  artillery  fell  into  our  possession  at  every 
charge,  but  we  could  neither  turn  the  pieces  upon  the  enemy,  nor  bring  them  off;  the 
wood  prevented  the  last,  and  the  want  of  a  match  the  first,  as  the  linstock  was  invariably 
carried  off,  and  the  rapidity  of  the  transitions  did  not  allow  ua  time  to  provide  one.  The 
slaughter  of  this  brigade  of  artillerists  was  remarkable,  the  captain  and  36  men  being  killed 
or  wounded  out  of  48.  It  was  truly  a  gallant  conflict,  in  which  death  by  familiarity  lost 
his  terrors,  and  certainly  a  drawn  battie,  as  night  alone  terminated  it ;  the  British  army 
keeping  its  ground  in  rear  of  the  field  of  action,  and  our  corps,  when  they  could  no  longer 
distinguish  objects,  retiring  to  their  own  camp." 

From  the  period  this  battle  was  fought,  (Sept.  19th,)  to  October 
7th,  the  time  was  spent  by  Gen.  Burgoyne  in  strengthening  his  posi- 
tion, and  by  Gen.  Gates  in  collecting  reinforcements.  Gen.  Bur- 
§oyne  is  said  to  have  planned  an  attack  on  the  20th  and  21st  of 
eptember,  but  fortunately  it  was  delayed  until  the  Americans  were 
in  the  best  situation  to  oppose  him.  Attacks  on  the  British  piquets 
took  place  almost  every  evening,  and  they  were  continually  harassed. 
The  following  is  Gen.  Wilkinson's  account  of  the  battle  of  Oct.  7th. 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  October  7th,  the  advanced  guard  of  the  centre  beat  to  arms ;  the 
alarm  was  repeated  throughout  the  line,  and  the  troops  repaired  to  their  alarm  posts.  I  was 
at  head.quarters  when  this  happened,  and  with  the  approbation  of  the  general,  mounted  my 
horse  to  inquire  the  cause ;  but  on  reaching  the  guard  where  the  beat  commenced,  I  could 
obtain  no  other  satisfaction,  but  that  some  person  had  reported  the  enemy  to  be  advancing 
against  our  left.  I  proceeded,  over  open  ground,  and  ascending  a  gentle  accUvity  in  front 
of  the  guard,  I  perceived,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  line  of  our  encampment,  several  col- 
umns  of  the  enemy,  60  or  70  rods  fi:om  me,  entering  a  wheat  field  which  had  not  been  cut, 
and  was  separated  from  me  by  a  small  rivulet ;  and  without  my  glass  I  could  distinctly 
mark  their  every  movement.  After  entering  the  field  they  displayed,  formed  the  line,  and 
set  down  in  double  ranks  with  their  arms  between  their  legs.  Foragers  then  proceeded  to 
cut  the  wheat  or  standing  straw,  and  I  soon  after  observed  several  officers  mounted  on  the 
top  of  n  cabin,  from  whence  with  their  glasses  they  were  endeavoring  to  reconnoitre  our 
left,  which  was  concealed  from  their  view  by  intervening  woods. 

"  Having  satisfied  myself,  after  fifteen  minutes  attentive  observ-ation,  that  no  attack  was 
meditated,  I  returned  and  reported  to  the  general,  who  ask-d  'riie  what  appeared  to  be  the 
intentions  of  the  enemy.  *  They  are  foraging,  and  endeavoring  to  reconnoitre  your  left ; 
and  I  think,  sir,  they  oflTer  you  battle.'  •  What  is  the  nature  of  the  ground,  and  what  your 
opinion  V  '  Their  front  is  open,  and  their  flanks  rest  on  the  woods,  under  cover  of  which 
they  may  be  attacked ;  their  right  is  skirted  by  a  lofty  height.  I  would  indulge  them.' 
•  Well,  then,  order  on  Morgan  to  begin  the  game.'  I  waited  on  the  colonel,  whose  corps 
was  formed  in  front  of  oar  csntre,  and  delivered  the  order ;  he  knew  the  ground  and  in= 
quired  the  position  of  the  enemy ;  they  were  formed  across  a  newly  cultivated  field,  their 


*>v. 


318 


/ 


ASATOOA  COUNTY. 


fMMdisra  with  MTenl  f5o!d.piece«  or.  the  left,  bordering  on  a  wood  and  a  nnall  ravinn 
Formed  by  the  nvulet  before  alluded  to;  their  light  infantry  o„  the  righj  rove^erby  a  wolm 
fenceatthofoot  of  the  hill  before  mentioned,  thickly  Covered  X  wood  the^r  Z  ™ 
compoeed  of  British  and  German  h«»'    .  ^. I.  Morgan    with  hi.  Z.  J^.Tt^ 

£?.hlu^  "*'"°['^''''"*"'^'  r""  *~''  '•"'"'«  commence  the  attack,  ao  aoonM  our 
5^  doX  rnn'tTrj^  ««amat  .hen  le»> ;  ,;,o  pU,.  wa.  the  best  which  could  be  deviled" and 
no  doubt  contributed  eaeentially  to  the  prompt  and  deciaive  victory  we  gained. 

allowed  .h-??'"?/"  TT^'^  ^y  ^"  «""*"'''  ""«* ''  ^""  concerted  that  fimeehouU  be 
•nnTh  ^^..'"'••'''  ■'■""''I ''«  ""df,  on  their  lefl;  Poor'a  brigade  wa«  ordered  far  thraervS 

^^LT^i'^"u''"''"r"^'^^'""'J""'  ""  '*"'  ««nk  and  front  of  the  sShgren^ 
diera,  by  the  New  Hampshire  and  New  York  troops.     True  to  h-  ,„rpoae  Mowan  at  th^ 
critical  moment  poured  down  like  a  torrent  from  thr  1,  ,-.  «„d  aiuu.l      the  r'Vht  of  thl  In 
emy  ...  front  and  flank      Dearborn,  at  the  moment  wheq  the  ermmy-a  Sh  infanU  w^rJ 
at.empt.ng  to  change  front,  pressed  forward  with  ardor^nd  HXd  fc  .  "ffi  7- Thi* 

&i^fhT'"''°'^:^*^'M"''*^«l'''  """^  ««'»"""y  '■°'<=«^  them  to  retire  in  dLder^m 
headed  by  that  intrepid  soid.er,  the  Eari  of  Balcarraa.  they  were  immediaVclv  rali.ed  «m  ! 

ruSy'intom  ^nTnllT  °^  *''"'  ^"'  r"""'  but^eing'LraUalVS  gr'e'  1 
lin.  „  '^'        J  i  fnd  flanks,  by  aupenor  numbers,  resistance  became  vain,  and  the  wl.oln 

fetr;.t Tlir."*  '\  ^"•*°^"'' '"  Pr°"'  ««^"  ^"y*  «">«»  ""-de  a  precipi,a"e  and  itrder  J 
^^T,u  ion'""i'  '*""""?  '*°  '*"'^«  ""'*  ««  "«  pounders  on  Uie  field  with  the  ?o8a  of 
rfV"*^  "  ofliceraand  men,  killed,  wounded  and  captured,  and  aSg^iemthrXw 
8  r  Franrf riTTT-' ''"«»''  "-f^"""'  Grazer;  Major  Ackland,  c^m.nrd^ftheTrenrl,^: 
lerv^SS  S;'^'^"^"'''-'*'-''''"^'  ^"J"'  W'"'"""'.  commanding  officer  ff  the  ar"r 
nL^h«  „rH«,  .    r  "'^',  p'P"'y  q"»r.erma8tcr.general,  and  many  others.    After  deliver 

^m  J^  ^'ounded,  b  ceding  and  almost  speechless.    What  a  specVacle  for  one  whose  h^ 
«pm  glowed  with  ph.lanthropy ;  and  how  vehement  the  impuls/which  excites  m^n  of  in" 

nf  ?»„  »  "to"!  250.y«'J.  a»ro«  „  „p,„  Bjld,  uid  wa.  coT.red  on  ch.  rick  bv  .  1»1«™ 

defeno.  of  the  provincioluo,  who  occupied  a  couole  of  lo»  o.bin.     Th.  r.™.;. 
enCBpod  tam.dl.,.ly  behind  U,e  „i]  l.„,woKod  ,lI°'^ZTi„  Sf^.^"?;™,.*"? 
».  .  wo.  «.„ll.  ,l„pe,  fo,  .bo.,  1*  ,.«.,  when  i.'.onk  .tapir  OuViiji  Wfotrf 


i 


\ 


SARATOGA   COUNTy. 


310 


man.  _  Fron.  thm  po.u.on,  about  m.mwt.  I  perceived  Brigadier^eneral  Learned  advanciM 
toward,  the  enernv  with  hm  brigade,  in  open  column.  I  think  W^th  ™|.  M  JackJoni  re^ 
ment  in  front,  a«/«w  I.eutenant-colonel  Brooka,  vlho  commanded  it7nwth^?eneS 
when  I  rode  up  to  h.m.  On  saluting  this  brave  old  soldier,  he  inquired.  •  WWewS  jl, 
.n  wuh  moat  advan.Bge  7-     1  had  par-ioularly  examined  the  ground  between  the  leTof  ^i 

a  ^  ackfir!:  .'1/*''/  "'^'"'''''  "'"Tf  ^^^^^  ProvincialiaS.  from  whence  I  had  lerveS 
a  .lack  fire      I  (h«refore  recommended  to  General  Learned  to  incline  to  hi.  right,  and  at 

ition  InJ-flill"'"  Th"?.'^"'  ""'^'l'  «"""  «''"""'^'  ^'  provinciali.te  abandollfd  heir  po 
.ition  and  fled.  The  German  flank  wa.,  by  thi.  mean.,  left  uncovered.  They  were  aiu 
.au  t«d  v.gorou.ly  overturned  in  five  minute.,  and  retreated  in  disorder,  leaving^he^gd: 

ant  commander  L.eutenant-colonel  Breyman.  dead  on  the  field.     By  di.lodging  thb  coS 

tt  7.tLTtT''"'''7T  "?  '"'•'T"  '°  "•'  ""'  ">«  extreme'darkne*  of Se  ^ 
Icdon  C  if n  .rn ?'"'  ""^  *'""'"'*'"  '"""^'"l'  '^  "•«l«"P"n«d  troop.,  after  so  de.ultor^an 
^e^™^R.l^^    k""J  ''"T  '°  ""P^^^*.  '^^  advantage  ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  n^hL 

The  following  is  from  Allen's  American  Revolution  :— 

"  The  British  lost  in  this  action  upwards  of  400  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  among 
whom  were  several  of  their  most  distinguished  officers.  Brigadier.general  Frazerand 
L.eutenam.colone  Breym..„,  who  commanded  the  Germans,  were  both  mortally  woi^ded 

S  krv  a^H^ti;^.""  ^^"""'  ^^"^'  ^""  «i<l-<le-«">P.  Major  Williams,  who  commanded le 
arti  lery,  and  he  deputy  quarter-master-general,  Captain  Money,  wore  among  the  prisoners. 
Lieutenant-colone  Brooks,  of  General  Leamed's  brigade,  who  commanded  Jackson's  ?eg" 
ment  on  thts  day.  led  his  men  into  action  with  great  spirit  against  the  German  grenadiers, 
who  were  posted  b.lund  a  rail  breastwork-the  stockades  were  carried  at  the  pfi^t  of  the 
bayonet,  and  the  Germans  forced  to  retreat.  They  were  followed  to  their  encampment, 
and  again  forced  to  fly  leaving  their  whole  equipage  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Ameri.' 
cans.  1  he  Brunswickern  showed  great  cowardice  in  the  action,  having  fled  before  a  maa 
of  them  was  killed  or  wounded.     Besides  their  killed,  wounded    and  captured,  the  British 

£i  r^'''^-''r''',r"'"^'  '^'""^  """^  ''"^'  «"«^  «  considerable  quantityo? 
baggage.  Burgoyne  himself  narrowly  escaped  death,  one  shot  having  passed  through  his 
hat.  and  another  through  his  waistcoat.  He  ^^u  on  the  field  during  fhe  whole  of  the  ac. 
tion.  directing  every  movement;  but  neither  gaUantry  nor  skill  could  eflect  any  thing 
tTn "fh  ?^  "  ""^u^T  ?'  '"'"■  ^''""«'  ^"'^^  remained  in  camp  during  the  whole  ac- 
^Z:l  ,  ""!^'  M  ^^^  better  en.  , led  to  order  and  regulate  the  various  movemente,  as 
circuniatances  should  require.  -"i  «» 

A,'IT^*  '"^^  °'  ""^  A"!*'"  '"*  ^'"^  ""'  ^^'^eed  eighty  men,  killed  and  wounded.  General 
fi„n«l'^5**T"^'u^>"^'\'J'''"'**'°"S'*''^  •"«*  "«"  •>««»  reinstated  in  his  command 
since  the  dih,  ute  with  General  Gates,  before  mentioned,  rode  about  the  field  giving  ordeia 
in  every  direction,  sometimes  in  direct  contradiction  to  those  of  the  commander,  at  others 
leading  a  platoon  in  person,  and  exposing  himself  to  the  hottest  fire  of  the  enemy.  There 
seems  to  be  little  doubt  from  the  conduct  of  Arnold  during  the  action,  that  he  was  in  a 
s^ate  ot  intoxication.  Ihe  mortifying  situation  in  which  he  found  himself  at  its  commence, 
ment,  without  command  or  authority,  sufficiently  accounts  for  any  extravagance  in  a  spirit 
leu.t'  J  °u^  ""?*  ^^, '^^^^^  """""S**  '"^^  opposing  lines,  exposing  himself  to  the  fire 
ot  both  sides,  but  miraculously  escaped  unhurt:  at  another  time,  placing  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  small  plate  n  of  Morgan's  riflemen,  he  led  them  around  into  the  rear  of  the  en. 
eray.  at  the  momens  iiey  turned  to  retreat,  under  the  hottest  fire  of  the  Americans.  la 
tms  situation,  his  horse  was  killed  under  him,  and  his  leg  was  broken.  It  would  be  doing 
injustice  10  General  Arnold,  traitor  as  he  alterward  proved,  to  deny  that  he  deserve.)  some 

nff.  Tu  5  '' '  ^"'  ."''"*'•'  ^^  *'""  ^™'*  "'"""S'  ''eyond  parallel,  he  was  rash,  impetu. 
ous  and  headstrong,  and  vhen  it  is  considered,  that  these  faults  of  his  natural  temper  were 
aggravated  and  heightenc  i  by  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  his  situadon,  it  will  not  per. 
naps  be  wrong  to  say,  tha.  he  could  not  have  rendered  any  very  essential  services  to  the 
^  nencan  army,  m  this  important  contest. 

tin!!?? ''it"'?'"  "'^  '''"  !'""l^'  General  Burgoyne  deemed  it  prudent  to  change  his  posi. 
non,  tor  the  Amen  ins  had  followed  them  to  within  half  a  mile  of  their  encampment,  and 
contmued  to  cannonade  them  without  ceasing.  He  determined  therefore  to  abandon  hia 
camp  and  move  to  the  high  grounds,  which  he  effected  in  good  order  and  without  loss, 
yn  ine  monung  of  the  8th  the  American  armv  moved  forward  nnd  tnnk  nngs»Hsi""  "*"  i^js 
-Diixaoueu  camp,  firom  which  they  kept  up  a  random  fire  of  artiiiery  Bnd''8maU.ar^  diir 


^ 


( 


r««l«W«*MMPMMMM|MH«M 


W*" 


■«p«*>P" 


"f" 


■1^ 


390 


/ 


■AKATOtlA   COUNTY. 


i 


ins  iho  w.,o|«  ,lny.  Burgoyiw.'«  troopi  wero  nil  .l»y  urulor  arrnn  in  Mp«t«iion  of  »noth« 
■uack.  .uul  in.l.ciUinR  hy  il.rir  in..ven.ct.ui  th«l  ih.y  intondod  a  .rUI  urthor  retrwt  In  ih. 
ooeaiiuMiil  nkirminh...  Iiho  dny,  OonorBl  Lincoln  wm  ihot  in  th..  leg  by  loma  of  the  en- 
•my'a  nmriumen." 


House  in  which  General  Frazer  died,  Stillwater. 

The  annexed  is  a  northeastern  view  of  the  house  on  the  bank  ot 
the  Hudson  in  Stillwater,  in  which  General  Frazer  died.*  This 
house  was  originally  one  story  in  height,  and  formerly  stood  about 
25  rods  westward  of  its  present  situation,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  north 
of  the  canal  bridge  seen  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  It  has  since  re- 
ceived an  addition  at  both  ends ;  the  general  expired  near  the  first 
window  to  the  right  of  the  door.  Beyond  the  bridge  in  the  distance  is 
seen  an  elevation  about  100  feet  in  height.  This  spot  is  rendered  in- 
teresting on  account  of  its  being  the  burial  place  of  General  Frazer. 
The  gravef  was  between  the  two  pine  trees  seen  on  the  summit.  Du- 
ring tLe  last  battle,  the  Americans  had  a  few  cannon  on  the  rising  ground 
above  the  eastern  shore,  from  which  shots  were  fired.  This  house 
appears  to  have  been  for  a  time  the  head-quarters  of  Burgoyne. 
Several  ladies  of  distinction  were  also  inmates  at  the  time  when  the 
British  troops  were  here,  being  the  wives  of  some  of  the  principal 
officers.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  one  of  the  letters  of  the 
Baroness  Reidesel,  originally  published  in  Germany : — 

"  But  severe  trials  awaited  us,  and  on  the  7th  of  October,  our  noisfortunes  began.  I  waa 
at  breakfast  with  my  husband,  and  heard  that  something  was  intended.  On  the  same  day 
I  expected  Generals  Burgoyne,  Phillips,  and  Frazer  to  dine  with  us.  I  saw  a  great  move, 
ment  among  the  troops  ;  my  husband  told  me,  it  was  merely  a  reconnoissance,  which  gave 
me  no  concern,  aait  often  happened.  I  walked  out  of  the  house  and  met  several  Indians 
in  their  war  dresses,  with  guns  in  their  hands.    When  I  asked  them  where  they  were  go- 


•  The  ioUowing  are  the  circumstanceB  of  his  death  :  In  the  midst  of  the  sanguinary 
battle  of  Oct.  7th,  Colonel  Morgan  took  a  few  of  his  choice  riflemen  aside  and  said,  That 
gallant  officer  is  General  Frazer;  /  admire  and  respect  him,  but  tt  is  necessary  that  he 
should  die;  take  your  stations  in  that  wood,  and  do  your  duty.»'  Within  a  few  momenta 
Gen.  Frazer  fell  mortally  wounded.  He  was  supported  by  two  officers,  tJl  he  reached  hw 
tent  J  ho  said  he  saw  the  man  who  shot  bin:,  thai  he  was  a  nSsjr.an  pos>"-  '"■  a  tree. 

t  His  remains  were  taken  up  some  yearn  since,  and  conveyed  to  England. 


■ABATOOA  COUNTY. 


8BI 


iiig,  ihoy  rrind  out,  •  War !  W»r  1'  (menning  they  were  going  to  battle.)  Thia  filled  m« 
wall  n|ipr«lit'ii*i((n,  nnd  I  «naroel^  got  hoiiin  before  I  heard  reporta  of  uannon  and  muaketry, 
which  grew  loiidfr  by  degree*,  till  at  lR«t  the  noiae  became  oxceaaive.  About  four  o'clock 
ill  the  alieriioon,  inalead  of  iha  gueaia  whom  I  eipected,  Oeneral  Fraier  was  brought  on  • 
litter  mortally  wounded.  The  table,  which  waa  already  aet,  waa  inatantly  removed  and  a 
bad  placed  in  iut  atead  for  the  wounded  general.  I  aat  trembling  in  a  corner  j  the  noia* 
grow  louder,  atid  tho  alarm  inc^eaaed ;  the  thought  that  my  huaband  might  iHirhaps  b« 

Li-  J  ■■  .         .  iceedingly. 


me,' 
very 


brought  in,  wounded  in  the  aame  way,  waa  terrible  to  me,  and  diatreaaed  me  exceedii 
General  Fraaer  aaid  to  the  aurgeon,  '  Ttll  km  if  mu  wound  u  mortal ;  do  mtfiatttr 
The  ball  had  pnmed  through  hia  body,  and  unhappily  for  the  general,  b«  had  eaten  •  ,„., 
hearty  breakfuat,  by  which  the  atomach  waa  diaiended,  and  the  ball,  aa  the  aurgMB  aaid, 
had  paaaed  through  it.  I  heard  him  often  exclaim  with  a  aigh,  *  Oh,  fatal  ambition  I  Poor 
General  Burgoyne  !  Oh,  my  poor  wife  !•  He  waa  aaked  if  he  had  any  requeat  to  make,  to 
which  he  replied,  that  •  If  General  Burgoyne  would  permit  it,  he  ahould  like  to  b«  bvried 
at  aix  o'clock  in  tho  evening  on  tho  top  of  a  mountain,  in  a  redoubt  which  had  been  built 
there.'  I  did  not  know  which  way  to  turn,  all  the  other  rooma  were  full  of  aick.  To. 
warda  evening  I  aaw  my  huaband  coming ;  then  I  forgot  all  my  aorrowa,  and  thanked  God 
that  ho  waa  spared  to  mc.  He  ate  in  great  haate  with  nie  and  hia  aid^de-camp  behind  the 
houae.  We  had  been  told  that  we  had  the  advantage  of  the  enemy,  but  the  aorrowful  fa. 
ceH  I  beheld  told  a  different  tale,  and  before  my  husband  went  away,  he  took  mo  one  aide, 
and  HQid  every  thing  was  going  very  bad,  that  I  muat  keep  myaclf  in  readineaa  to  leave  tha 
place,  but  not  to  mention  it  to  uny  one,  I  mndo  tho  pretence  that  I  would  move  the  neit 
moniing  into  my  new  houae,  and  had  every  thing  packed  up  ready. 

"  Lady  H.  Ackland  hod  a  tent  not  for  from  our  houae  ;  in  thia  ahe  slept,  and  the  rest  of 
the  day  ahe  waa  in  the  camp.  All  of  a  audden,  a  man  came  to  tell  her  that  her  husband 
waa  mortally  wounded  and  taken  prisoner ;  on  hearing  tWa  ahe  became  very  miserable ; 
we  comforted  her  by  telling  her  that  the  wound  waa  only  alight,  and  at  the  aame  time  ad. 
vised  her  to  go  over  to  her  husband,  to  do  which  she  would  certainly  obtain  permiaaion, 
and  then  she  could  attend  him  lierac"";  she  was  a  charming  woman,  and  very  fond  of  him. 
I  spent  much  of  the  night  in  comforting  her,  and  then  went  again  to  my  children,  whom  I  f 
hod  put  to  bed.  I  could  not  go  to  sleep,  as  I  had  General  Frazer  and  all  the  other  wound, 
ed  gentlemen  in  my  room,  and  I  was  sadly  ofraid  my  children  would  awake,  and  by  their 
crying  disturb  the  dying  man  in  hia  last  moments,  who  often  addresaed  me,  and  apologized 
*for  the  trouble  he  gave  me.'  About  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was  told  he  could  not  hold 
out  much  longer ;  I  had  desired  to  be  informed  of  the  near  approach  of  this  sad  crisia,  and 
I  then  wrapped  up  my  children  in  their  clothes,  and  went  with  them  into  the  room  below. 
About  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  died.  After  he  waa  laid  out  and  his  corpse  wrapped  up 
in  a  sheet,  we  came  again  into  the  room,  and  had  this  sorrowful  sight  before  us  the  whole 
day ;  and  to  add  to  this  melancholy  scene,  almost  every  moment  some  officer  of  my  ac- 
quaintance  was  brought  in  wounded.  The  cannonade  commenced  again  ;  a  retreat  waa 
spoken  of,  but  not  the  smallest  motion  was  made  towards  it.  About  4  o'clock  in  the  after, 
noon  I  saw  the  house  which  had  just  been  built  for  me  in  flames,  and  the  enemy  waaWw 
not  far  off.  We  knew  that  General  Burgoyne  would  not  refuse  the  last  request  of  Genieral 
Frazer,  though  by  his  acceding  to  it,  an  unnecessary  delay  was  occasioned,  by  which  the 
inconvenience  of  the  army  wos  much  increased.  At  6  o'clock  the  corpse  was  brought  out, 
and  we  aaw  all  the  generals  attend  it  to  the  mountain  ;  the  chaplain,  Mr.  Brundell,  per. 
formed  the  funeral  service,  rendered  unusually  solemn  and  awful,  from  its  being  accom. 
panied  by  constant  peals  from  the  enemy's  artillery.  Many  cannon  balls  flew  close  by  me; 
but  I  had  my  eyes  directed  towards  the  mountain,  where  my  husband  waa  atanding  amid 
the  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  of  course,  I  could  not  think  of  my  own  danger.  General  Gates 
afterward  said,  that  if  he  had  known  it  had  been  a  funeral,  he  would  not  have  permitted  it 
to  be  fired  on."  Lady  Harriet  Ackland  went  to  the  American  camp  after  the  action,  to  take 
care  of  her  husband,  before  the  surrender,  and  the  Baroness  Reidesel  afterward.  They 
were  both  received  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  delicacy. 

Waterford  was  taken  from  Half  Moon  in  1816.  The  village  of 
Waterford,  containing  a  population  of  about  1,600,  is  pleasantly  situ- 
ated at  the  junction  ofthe  Mohawk  with  the  Hudson,  10  miles  north  of 
Albany.  The  annexed  view  was  taken  on  the  road  to  Cahoos  Falls, 
about  a  mile  west  of  the  village.  There  are  here  4  churches — viz, 
1  Presbyterian,  1  Methodist,  1  Episcopal,  and  1  Dutch  Reformed — 
an  academy,  and  a  bank.    It  is  favorably  located  for  trade,  being  mi 


nmfmimmm'iiii-  -'- 


■■•■T'J  "     '       ■" 


(  ;. 


Western  view  of  Waterford. 

the  lines  of  the  Champlain  canal  and  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  rail- 
road. It  also  derives  considerable  importance  from  the  navigation 
of  small  vessels  on  the  Hudson.  There  is  an  outlet  here  from  the 
canal  by  three  locks,  each  11  feet,  to  the  Mohawk  river.  The  agri- 
\  cultural  and  manufactured  products  exported  from  the  village  annually, 
amount  to  about  a  million  of  dollars.  The  water-power  used  in  the 
large  manufacturing  estabhshments  at  this  place  is  derived  from  the 
Mohawk. 


'  SCHENECTADY  COUNTY. 

f 

Schenectady  county  was  taken  from  Albany  in  1809  ;  centrally 
distant  from  New  York  163,  from  Albany  18  miles.  Greatest  length 
25,  greatest  breadth  20  miles.  The  surface  is  much  diversified  by 
hills,  plains,  and  valleys.  The  soil  along  the  Mohawk  and  other 
streams  is  generally  rich  alluvion  ;  on  the  hills,  light  sandy  loam, 
sometimes  fertile  ;  and  on  the  plains,  clay  and  clayey  loam,  and  sand, 
sometimes  barren.  Wherever  practicable,  the  country  is  generally 
well  cultivated,  chiefly  by  descendants  of  the  primitive  Dutch  settlers, 
among  whom  are  many  wealthy  farmers.  The  Mohawk  river  runs 
SE.  through  the  county.  The  Schoharie  kill,  on  the  W.,  affords 
abundance  of  mill  power.  The  Mohawk  and  Hudson,  the  Rensse- 
laer and  Saratoga,  and  the  Utica  and  Schenectady  njlroads,  and 
Erie  canal,  cross  this  county.  The  county  is  divided  into  five  towns 
and  the  city  of  Schenectady,  viz. : 

Duanesburgh,  Niskayv.na,  Rotterdam, 

Gienviiie,  Frinceton,  Schenectady. 


SCHENECTADY   COUNTY. 


Schenectady  city  wu  incorporated  in  1798.  Its  name,  pronounced 
by  the  Indiana  Schagh-ntzc-taa-aa,  signifying^*  beyond  the  pine  plains,** 
was  originally  applied  to  Albany.  The  compact  part  of  the  city  was 
in  olden  time  the  site  of  an  Indian  village  called  Con-nuglHiarie' 
gugh-harie,  literally,  "a  great  multitude  collected  together."  It  is  said 
that  it  was  the  principal  seat  of  the  Mohawks,  even  before  the  con- 
federacy of  the  Iroquois,  or  Five  Nations.  It  was  abandoned  by 
them  at  a  very  early  period  in  the  colonial  history.  Some  time  pre- 
vious to  1620,  it  is  stated  that  15  or  20  persons,  12  of  whom  were 
direct  from  Holland,  and  the  rest  from  Albany,  settled  here  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  on  the  fur  trade.  It  appears  from  the  Dutch 
records  that  the  first  grant  of  lands  was  made  in  1661,  to  Arent  Van 
Corlaer  and  others,  on  condition  that  they  purchased  the  soil  from 
the  Indians.  The  deed  was  obtained  in  1672,  and  signed  by  four 
Mohawk  chiefs. 

The  flats  upon  the  Mohawk  river  are  extensive  and  rich,  and  the 
uplands,  undulating,  have  a  sandy  loam  soil  upon  clay  slate ;  watered 
by  the  Mohawk  and  its  tributary,  the  Sandkitl,  a  steady  and  valuable 
stream,  which  unite  near  the  compact  portion  of  the  city.  The  city  is 
supplied  with  water  for  domestic  uses  by  an  aqueduct  from  a  spring  on 
a  neighboring  hill.  It  had  a  considerable  corporate  estate,  formerly 
vested  in  trustees,  by  letters  patent  granted  in  1684.  Poftions  have 
been  sold,  but  the  residue,  between  sixteen  and  seventeen  thousand 
acres,  has  been  leased  in  perpetuity,  to  individuals,  at  fixed  rents,  giv- 
ing an  annual  revenue  of  #5,000,  in  which  the  towns  of  Rotterdam 
and  Glenville  have  an  interest. 

The  compr.r:  part  of  Schenectady  is  on  the  SE.  side  of  the  Mo- 
hawk river,  15|  miles  from  Albany,  and  15  SW.  of  Ballston  springs. 
The  plat  is  laid  out  on  20  streets  crossing  each  other,  running  about 
one  mile  in  one  direction  and  half  a  mile  in  another,  eight  of  which 
are  diagonally  intersected  by  the  Erie  canal.  The  city,  which  in 
some  parts  retains  much  of  its  ancient  appearance,  contains  the  county 
buildings,  1  Episcopal,  1  Dutch  Reformed,  1  Presbyterian,  1  Baptist, 
1  Cameronian,  1  Methodist,  1  Universalist,  and  1  Catholic  church, 
the  Union  College,  Schenectady  Lyceum,  an  academy,  3  banks, 
&c.,  &c.  Pop.  8,922.  The  railroad  from  Albany  to  this  place  ex- 
tends across  a  sandy  plain  covered  with  pines  and  shrubbery  ;  it 
enters  Schenectady  by  an  inclined  plane  which  descends  108  feet  in 
half  a  mile.  The  Saratoga  and  Schenectady  railroad  passes  through 
the  city,  crosses  the  Mohawk  river  on  a  substantial  bridge  between 
8  and  900  feet  long,  and  extends  in  a  riortheriy  direction  over  a 
heavy  embankment  for  three  fourths  of  a  mile  to  a  deep  cut,  where 
the  Uiica  railroad  diverges  to  the  west,  and  the  Saratoga  to  the  north- 
east. 

Union  College,  in  this  city,  was  incorporated  by  the  regents  in 
1794,  and  has  reached  its  present  flourishing  condition  from  a  small 
beginning.  In  1785,  a  small  academy  was  erected  by  the  consistory 
of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church,  which  £^ftei  the  establishment  of 


321 


SCHENECTADY    COUNTY. 


Union  College  Buildings,  Schenectady. 

Union  College,  was  presented  to  its  trustees,  and  used  as  a  grammar 
school.  Liberal  donations  from  individuals,  amounting  to  upwards 
of  #30,000,  raised  a  suite  of  edifices  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  the  prin- 
Cipai  one  of  which  was  afterward  used  as  a  courthouse,  but  having 
been  rep'ui'hased  by  the  institution,  is  now  devoted  to  collegiate  ob- 
jects. h\  IH 14,  the  trustees  purchased  a  site  on  the  rising  ground  over  ■ 
looking  the  Mohawk  valley,  a  little  E.  of  the  compact  part  of  the  city. 
Two  cuiiices  have  been  erected  at  this  place,  each  200  feet  long, 
about  ?.)  wide,  4  stories  high,  standing  in  a  line  600  feet  apart;  a 
coiom  ade  extending  in  the  rear  from  each  building  156  feet  in  length, 
by  about  so  feet  in  width,  and  2  stories  high.  The  other  college 
bu;'i:r?gj  are  two  boarding  halls,  farm-house,  hospital  house,  for  a 
professor,  a  number  of  tenements  for  servants,  &c.  The  college  has 
6  professors  and  4  assistant  professors,  and  in  its  several  libraries 
about  13,000  volumes.  The  total  value  of  the  college  property  is 
upwards  of  $448,000.     There  are  here  about  300  students. 

The  first  clergyman  of  the  Dutch  church  who  settled  at  Schenectady  was  Petrus  Tasa. 
ehemaker,  from  Holland,  who  assumed  the  pastoral  charge  in  1684.  The  first  edifice  for 
public  worship  was  erected  at  the  south  end  of  Church.street,  near  the  head  of  Water-street, 
between  the  years  1684  and  1698.  Previous  to  this  time  meetings  for  worship  were  pro. 
bably  held  in  private  houses.  In  1733,  a  more  commodious  edifice  was  erected  in  the  cep. 
tro  of  the  street  where  Union  and  Church  streets  cross  each  other.  This  church  was  very 
similar  in  its  appearance  tp  the  one  now  standing  in  Caiighnawaga,  in  the  town  of  Mo. 
hawk.     [See  page  281.] 

"  Before  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Taspchemaker,  the  church-going  people  attended  public 
worship  in  Albany ;  a  journey  to  which  place,  going  and  coming,  consumed  more  than  two 
days.  The  road  to  Albany  must  have  been  very  circuitous,  as  all  the  records  of  that  day, 
when  alluding  to  Schenectady,  speak  of  it  as  being  situated  •  twenty  miles  west  of  Albany.' 

"  In  February,  1690,  when  Schenectady  was  burnt  by  I'le  French  and  Indians,  Mr.  Tass- 
ehemaker  disappeared  very  mysteriously.  In  1702,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Brower,  also  from 
Holland,  received  a  call,  and  served  until  his  death  in  1728.  The  Rev.  Bemardus  Free. 
man  and  Rhynhard  Erkaon  served  next  in  order;  but  how  long  is  not  kno'vn.  In  1740, 
we  find  the  name  of  Cornelius  Van  Santvoord,  who  came  from  Staten  Island,  as  the  settled 
clergyman.  Two  years  after  his  decease,  viz.,  in  1754,  the  Rev.  Barent  Vrooman,  a  na- 
live  of  Schenectady,  accepted  a  call  and  ministered  until  his  decease  m  1782.  Mr.  Vroo- 
man received  his  education  in  Holland  ;  as  was  the  case  with  all  the  Dutch  clergymen  of 
that  early  day,  before  theological  seminaries  were  established  in  this  country.  Mr.  Vroo. 
man  was  succeeded^  by  the  Rev.  Derick  Romeyn,  from  Hackensack  and  Schallenburcii. 
New  Jersey.     Mr.  Komeyn  died  m  i«ll4,  and  was  succeeded  fjy  the  Kev.  John  H.  Myers 


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*- 


SCHENECTADY   COUNTY. 


\ 


325 


from  P.lt«,  New  Jeney.    Mr.  Myen  died  in  1806.    His  iuccearor  waa  the  Rev.  ComeUu* 
Bogardus  who  d.ed  m  1813.  and  waa  aucceeded  by  the  Rev.  Jacob  Van  Vefhtln. 

The  Episcopal  church  at  Schenectady  waa  founded  by  Mr.  John  W.  Brown,  who  ami. 
grated  from  England  previous  to  1763.  About  thia  time  meaaures  were  takeu  to  erecT^ 
chapel.  The  pnncipal  benefecton  were  Sir  William  Johnson  and  John  Duncan.  Baa 
Previous  to  the  revolution  this  church  owned  a  valuable  library,  which,  together  with  theo? 
gan  and  a  greater  part  of  the  interior  work  of  the  building,  was  destroyed  by  a  gang  of  lawleaa 
white  freebootera  and  some  Indiana.  Strange  aa  it  may  seom,  these  freeboot^erewhS! 
whose  prejudices  against  England  were  so  great  aa  to  extend  to  every  thing  English.  That 
this  church  was  called  the  Engliak  church,  and  was  supposed  lo  be  under  the  English  in. 
ttuence,  formed  a  sufficient  justification  in  their  own  view  for  its  destruction.  A  nroiect 
was  set  on  fool  to  plunder  Mr.  Doty  the  pastor ;  but  fortunately  the  projectors  were  not  ac! 
quainted  with  his  person  or  place  of  abode,  and  as  nobody  would  inform  them,  he  escaped. 
..J  A-  t^^^u  J^  t^'^^iy  ^'^  probably  the  first  pastor  of  this  church.  He  was  sue 
ceeded  m  1773  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Doty,  who  left  this  place  about  the  year  1777,  in  the  heat 
ot  the  revolutionary  contest.  From  this  time  there  was  no  settled  minister  until  1791 
when  the  Kev.  Ammi  Robbins  took  the  pastoral  charge  and  continued  until  1798.  After 
bim  came  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitmore,  whose  ministration  ended  in  1804.  The  Rev.  Cyrua 
Stebbins  was  the  next  pastor ;  and  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Pierre  A.  Proal  in  1818." 

The  war  during  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary,  in  England,  com- 
monly called  ^'King  William's  War,"  commenced  in  1690  and  con- 
tmued  about  7  years.  In  the  depth  of  winter,  Count  Frontenac, 
governor  of  Canada,  fitted  out  three  expeditions  against  the  colonies 
—one  agamst  New  York,  a  second  against  New  Hampshire,  and  a 
third  agamst  the  province  of  Maine.  The  following,  relating  to  the 
destruction  of  Schenectady,  is  extracted  from  the  account  eiven  in 
Mr.  Drake's  "  Book  of  the  Indians."  ^ 

i/-L^'^,.*^°"""^"*'^*"'y  ^^y^'  ""*'''•  '•>«  o"«'"y  ^^U  »"  ^^  ''•»  Schenectady,  February  8. 
1690.  There  were  about  200  French,  and  perhaps  50  Caughnewnga  Mohawks,  and  ibev 
It  ftrst  intended  to  have  surprised  Albany ;  but  their  march  had  been  so  long  and  tedious 
occasioned  by  the  deepness  of  the  snow  and  coldness  of  the  weather,  that,  instead  of  at! 
tempting  any  thing  offensive,  they  had  nearly  decided  to  surrender  themselves  to  the  first 
l!-ngli8h  they  should  meet,  such  was  their  distressed  situation,  in  a  camp  of  snow,  but  a  few 
miles  from  the  devoted  settlement.  The  Indians,  however,  saved  them  from  tlie  disgrace 
They  had  sent  out  a  small  scout  from  their  party,  who  entered  Schenectady  without  even 
exciting  suspicion  of  their  err»nd.  When  they  had  staid  as  long  as  the  nature  of  their 
business  required,  they  withdrew  to  their  fellows. 

"  Seeing  that  Schenectady  offered  such  an  easy  prey,  it  put  new  courage  into  the  French 
and  they  came  upon  i  as  above  related.  The  bloody  tragedy  commenced  between  11  and 
U  o'i!lock,  on  Saturday  night ;  and,  that  every  house  might  be  surprise'l  at  nearly  the  same 
time,  the  enemy  divided  themselves  into  parties  of  6  or  7  men  each.  Although  the  town 
was  empaled,  no  one  thought  it  necessary  to  close  the  gates,  even  at  night,  presuming  the 
seventy  of  the  season  was  a  sufficient  stcurity;  hence  the  first  news  of  the  approach  of  the 
enemy  was  at  every  door  of  every  house,  which  doors  were  broken  as  soon  as  the  profr  ind 
slumbers  of  those  they  were  intended  *q  guard.  Th"  same  inhuman  barbarities  now  fol. 
lowed,  that  were  afterward  perpetrated  upon  the  v  •^^  3d  inhabitants  of  Montreal.  '  No 
tongue,'  said  Col.  Schuyler,  •  can  express  the  cruolties  that  were  committed.'  Sixty-three 
houses,  and  the  church,  v/orrt  •riiTnediately  in  a  blaze.  Encitnte  women,  in  their  expiring 
agonies,  saw  their  infant,  ca.-f  i-i;^  the  flames,  being  first  delivered  by  the  knife  of  the"  mid. 
night  assassin !  Sixty-thnc  persons  were  put  to  death,  and  twenty ^even were  curried  into 
captivity. 

"A  fuw  persons  fled  i.»w,  aids  Albany,  with  no  other  covering  but  their  night-clothes ;  the 
honor  of  whose  condition  was  groatly  enhanced  by  a  great  fall  of  snow;  25  of  whom  kat 
their  hmbs  from  the  severity  of  the  frost.  With  these  poor  fugitives  came  the  intelligence 
to  Albany,  and  that  place  waa  in  a  dismal  confusion,  having  as  usual  upon  such  occasions, 
supposed  the  enemy  to  have  been  seven  times  more  numerous  than  they  really  were. 
About  noon,  the  next  day,  the  enemy  set  off  from  Schenectady,  taking  all  the  plunder  they 
cou  d  carry  with  them,  among  which  were  40  of  the  best  horses.    The  rest,  with  all  the 

One  of  the  t:.o8t  conaiderable  men  of  Schenectady,  at  this  time,  was  Cepf.  Alexander 


.,^ 


mtm 


mm4 


r 


Uj 


326 


/ 


SCHENECTADY   COUNTY. 


Olan.  He  lived  on  the  oppoaite  side  of  the  river,  and  was  suflTered  to  eacape,  becauae  he 
had  delivered  many  French  prisoners  from  torture  and  slavery,  who  had  been  taken  by  the 
Indians  in  the  former  wars.  They  had  passed  his  house  in  the  night,  and,  during  the  mas. 
aacre,  he  had  taken  the  alarm,  and  in  the  morning  he  was  found  ready  to  defend  himself. 
Before  leaving  the  village,  a  French  officer  summoned  him  to  a  council,  upon  the  shore  of 
the  river,  with  the  tender  of  personal  safety.  He  at  length  adventured  down,  and  had  the 
great  satisfaction  of  having  all  his  captured  friends  and  relatives  delivered  to  him;  and  the 
enemy  departed,  keeping  good  dieir  promise  that  no  iiyury  should  be  done  him." 

Among  those  who  maide  a  successful  defence  and  kept  the  foe  at  bay,  was  Adam 
Vrooman.  Being  well  supplied  with  ammunition,  and  trusting  to  the  strength  of  his  build, 
ing,  which  was  a  sort  of  a  fort,  he  formed  the  desperate  resolution  to  defend  himself  to  the 
last  extremity ;  and  if  it  should  prove  his  fate  to  perish  in  the  ruins  of  his  own  domicil,  to 
■ell  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  children  as  dear  as  possible.  Seconded  in  his  efforts  by 
one  of  his  sons,  who  assisted  in  loading  his  guns,  he  kept  up  a  rapid  and  continuous  fire 
upon  his  assailants,  and  with  the  most  deadly  effect.  His  house  was  soon  filled  with 
smoke.  His  wife,  nearly  suffocated  with  it,  cautiously,  yet  imprudently,  placed  the  door 
^jar.  This  an  alert  Indian  perceived,  and  firing  through  the  aperture,  killed  her.  In  the 
mean  time,  one  of  his  daughters  escaped  from  Sie  back  hall  door  with  his  infant  child  in 
her  arms.  They  snatched  the  httle  innocent  from  her  arms,  and  dashed  out  its  brains ;  and 
in  the  confusion  of  the  scene  the  girl  escaped.  Their  triumph  here,  however,  was  of  short 
duration  ;  Mr.  Vrooman  succeeded  in  securely  bolting  the  door  and  preventing  the  intru. 
sion  of  any  of  the  enemy.  On  witnessing  Mr.  Vrooman's  courage,  and  fearing  greater 
havoc  among  their  chosen  band,  the  enemy  promised,  if  he  would  desist,  to  save  his  life  and 
not  set  fire  to  his  building.  This  promise  they  fulfilled,  but  carried  off  two  of  his  sons  into 
captivity. 

The  following  additional  particulars  respecting  this  event  are 
drawn  from  the  account  given  by  Charlevoix,  a  learned  French 
Jesuit,  distinguished  for  his  travel?  and  authentic  historical  works. 

"  This  party  marched  out  before  they  had  determined  against  what  part  of  the  English 
frontier  they  would  carry  their  arms,  though  some  part  of  New  York  was  understood. 
Count  Frontenac  had  left  that  to  the  two  commanders.  After  they  had  marched  5  or  6 
days,  they  called  a  council  to  determine  upon  what  place  they  would  attempt.  In  this 
co'mcii,  it  was  debated,  on  the  part  of  the  French,  that  Albany  would  be  the  smallest  place 
they  ought  to  undertake ;  but  the  Indians  would  not  agree  to  it.  They  contended  that, 
witih  their  small  force,  an  attack  upon  Albany  would  be  attended  with  extreme  hazard. 
The  French  being  strenuous,  the  debate  grew  warm,  and  an  Indian  chief  asked  them  '  how 
long  it  was  since  they  had  so  much  courage.'  To  this  severe  rebuke  it  was  answered,  that, 
if  by  some  past  actions  they  had  discovered  cowardice,  they  should  see  that  now  they  would 
letrieve  their  character;  they  would  take  Albany  or  die  in  the  attempt.  The  Indians, 
however,  would  not  consent,  and  the  council  broke  up  without  agreeing  upon  any  tiling 
but  to  proceed  on. 

"  They  continued  their  march  until  they  came  to  a  place  where  their  path  divided  intc 
two ;  one  of  which  led  to  Albany,  and  the  other  to  Schenectady :  here  Mantet  gave  up  his 
design  upon  Albany,  and  they  marched  on  harmoniously  for  the  former  village.  The 
weather  was  very  severe,  and  for  the  following  9  days  the  little  army  suffered  incredible 
hardships.  The  men  v/ere  often  obliged  to  wade  through  water  up  to  their  knees,  breaking 
its  ice  at  every  step. 

"  At  4  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  beginning  of  February,  they  arrived  within  two  leagues 
of  Schenectady.  Here  they  halted,  and  the  Great  Agnier,  chief  of  the  Iroquois  of  the  falls 
of  St.  Louis,  made  a  speech  to  them.  He  exhorted  every  one  to  forget  the  hardships  they 
had  endured,  in  the  hope  of  avenging  the  wrongs  they  had  for  a  long  time  suffered  from  the 
perfidious  English,  who  were  the  authors  of  them ;  and  in  the  close  added,  that  they  could 
not  doubt  of  the  assistance  of  heaven  against  the  enemies  of  God,  in  a  cause  so  just. 
Hardly  had  they  taken  up  their  line  of  march,  when  they  met  40  Indian  women,  who  gave 
them  all  the  necessary  information  for  approaching  the  place  in  safety.  A  Canadian, 
named  Oiguiore,  was  detached  immediately  with  9  Ii.uiana  upon  discov?ry,  who  acquitted 
hinr-self  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  officers.  He  reconnoitred  Schenettady  at  his  leisure, 
and  then  rejoined  his  comrades.  It  had  been  deie*rniiied  by  the  party  to  put  off  the  attack 
one  day  longer :  but  on  the  arrival  of  the  scout  under  Giguiere,  it  was  resolved  to  proceed 
without  delay. 

"•  Sciienectady  wnii  iLei>  itt  form  Uke  thai  of  a  long  square,  end  entered  by  twc  gates,  one 
at  each  end.    One  opened  towards  Albaiiy,  the  other  upon  the  great  road  leading  into  the 


I 

SCHENECTADY   COUNTY.  ^7 

back  country,  and  which  was  now  possessed  by  the  French  and  Indians.  Mantet  and  St. 
Helene  charged  at  the  second  gate,  which  the  Indian  women  before  mentioned  had  assured 
them  was  always  open,  and  they  found  it  so.  D'Iberville  and  Repentigni  passed  to  the 
eft,  jn  order  to  enter  by  the  other  gate,  but,  after  losing  some  time  in  vainly  endeavorimr 
to  find  jt,  were  obliged  to  return  and  enter  with  their  comrades.  * 

"  The  gate  was  not  only  open  but  unguarded,  and  the  whole  party  entered  without  beimr 
discovered.  Dividing  themselves  into  several  parties,  they  waylaid  every  portal,  and  th^ 
the  war-whoop  was  raised.  Mantet  formed  and  attacked  a  garrison,  where  the  only  resisU 
ance  of  any  account  was  made.  The  gate  of  it  was  soon  forced,  and  all  of  the  English  feU 
by  the  sword,  and  the  garrison  waa  burned.  Montigni  was  wounded,  in  forcing  a  house 
m  his  ami  and  body  by  two  blows  of  a  halberd,  which  put  him  hors  du  combat:  but  St' 
Helene  being  come  to  his  assistance,  the  house  was  taken,  and  the  wounds  of  Montigni 
revenged  by  the  death  of  aU  who  had  shut  themselves  up  in  it.  Nothing  was  now  to  be 
seen  but  inassacre  and  pillage  in  every  place.  At  the  end  of  about  two  hours,  the  chiefs 
believing  It  due  to  their  safety,  posted  bodies  of  guards  at  all  the  avenues,  to  prevent  sur! 
prise,  and  the  rest  of  the  night  was  spent  in  refreshing  themselves.  Mantet  had  given 
.-rders  that  the  minister  of  the  place  should  be  spared,  whom  he  had  intended  for  his  own 
pnsoner ;  but  he  was  found  among  the  promiscuous  dead,  and  no  one  knew  when  he  waa 
killed,  and  all  his  papers  were  burned. 

"After  the  place  was  destroyed,  the  chiefs  ordered  all  the  casks  of  intoxicating  liquois  to 
be  stayed,  to  i^event  their  men  from  getting  drunk.  They  next  set  all  the  houses  on  fire 
excepting  that  of  a  widow,  mto  which  Montigni  had  been  carried,  and  another  belonging 
to  Major  Coudre:  they  were  in  number  about  40,  all  weU  built  and  furnished;  no  boo!/ 
but  that  which  could  be  easily  transported  was  saved.  The  lives  of  about  60  persons  were 
spared ;  chiefly  women,  children,  and  old  men,  who  had  escaped  the  fiiry  of  the  onset,  and 
30  Indians  who  happened  to  be  then  in  the  place.  The  Uvea  of  the  Indians  were  spared 
that  they  might  carry  the  news  of  what  had  happened  to  their  countrymen,  whom  they 
were  requested  to  inform,  that  it  was  not  against  them  that  they  intended  any  harm  but  to 
the  English  only,  whom  they  had  now  despoiled  of  property  to  the  amount  of  four  hundred 
thousand  pounds." 

The  following  ballad  is  an  interesting  relic  of  antiquity.  It  was 
written  in  1690,  to  commemorate  the  destruction  of  Schene'ctady,  and 
is  composed  something  in  the  style  of  the  celebrated  "  Chevy  Chase." 

"A  BALLAD,  < 

"In  which  is  set  forth  the  horrid  crudities  practised  by  the  French  and  Indians  on  the 
night  of  the  8th  ol  last  February.  The  which  I  did  compose  last  night  in  the  space  of  one 
hour;  and  am  now  writing,  the  morning  of  Fryday,  June  12th,  1690.  W.  W. 

Each  door  was  sudden  ooen  broke 


"  God  prosper  long  our  king  and  queen. 

Our  lives  and  safeties  all ; 
A  sad  misfortune  once  there  did 

Schenectady  befall. 

From  forth  the  woods  of  Canada 
The  Frenchmen  tooke  their  way, 

The  people  of  Schenectady 
To  captivate  and  slay. 

They  marched  for  two  and  twenty  daies. 

All  through  the  deepest  snow ; 
And  on  a  dismal  winter  night. 

They  strucke  the,  cruel  blow. 
The  lightsome  sun  that  rules  the  day 

Had  gone  down  in  the  west ; 
And  eke  the  drowsie  villagers 

Had  sought  and  found  their  reste. 
They  thought  they  were  in  saftie  all, 

And  dreampt  not  of  the  foe  : 
But  att  midnight  they  all  awoke, 

In     Jnderment  and  woe. 
For  the*  were  in  their  pleasant  beddes, 

And  Boundeiie  Bleeping,  when 


By  six  or  seven  men. 

The  men  and  women,  younge  and  olde, 

And  eke  the  girls  and  boys. 
All  started  up  In  great  affright,  \ 

Att  the  alarming  noise. 

They  then  were  murther'd  in  their  beddea. 

Without  shame  or  remorse ; 
And  soone  the  floors  and  streets  were  strew  d 

With  many  a  bleeding  corse. 
The  village  soon  began  to  blaze, 

Which  shew'd  the  horrid  sight  >— 
But,  O,  I  scarce  can  beare  to  tell, 

The  mis'ries  of  that  night. 

They  threw  the  infants  in  the  fire, 

The  men  they  did  not  spare ; 
But  killed  all  which  the'  could  find. 

Though  aged  or  tho'      . . 

O  Christe !     In  the  still  midnight  air. 

It  sounded  dismally ; 
The  women's  prayers,  and  the  joud  screams 

Uf  their  great  agony. 


\ 

328 


SCHOHARIE    COUNTY. 


Methinka  aa  if  I  hear  them  now 

All  rtnffin;^  in  my  ear ; 
The  BhrieM  and  groans  and  woeful  righa 

They  uttered  in  their  fear. 

But  some  run  oiFto  Albany, 

And  told  the  dolefull  tale : 
Yett  though  we  gave  our  chearful  aid, 

It  did  not  muola  avail. 

And  we  were  horribly  afraid, 
And  shook  with  terror,  when 

They  told  us  that  the  Frenchmen  were 
More  than  a  thousand  men. 

The  news  came  on  the  Sabbath  mom 

Just  att  the  break  of  day, 
And  with  a  companie  of  horse 

I  galloped  away. 

But  iwonwe  found  the  French  were  gone 
With  all  their  great  bootye  ; 

Albany,  lithofjune,  1690. 


And  then  their  trail  we  did  pursue, 
As  was  our  true  dutye. 

The  Mohaquea  joynd  our  brave  partye. 

And  followed  in  the  chase, 
Till  we  came  up  with  the  Frenchmen, 

Att  a  moat  likelye  place. 

Our  soldiers  fell  upon  their  rear, 

And  killed  twenty-five ; 
Our  young  men  were  so  much  enrag'd 

They  took  scarce  one  alive. 

D'Aillebout  them  did  commando. 
Which  were  but  thievish  rogues. 

Else  why  did  they  consent  and  goe, 
With  bloodye  Indian  dogges  ? 

And  here  I  end  the  long  ballad. 
The  which  you  just  have  redde  ; 

I  wish  that  it  may  stay  on  earth 
Long  after  I  am  dead. 

Waltek  Wiut. 


SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

Schoharie  county  was  taken  from  Albany  and  Otsego  counties  in 
1795  ;  greatest  length  N.  and  S.  30,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  25 
miles.  Centrally  distant  NW.  from  New  York  150,  from  Albany  W. 
42  miles.  In  the  western  part  of  this  county  is  the  dividing  ridge  be- 
tween the  waters  of  the  Mohawk  and  those  of  the  Susquehannah  and 
Delaware.  In  the  eastern  part  it  has  the  Catekill  and  Helleberg  moun- 
tains. It  has  the  valley  of  the  Schoharie  creek  north  and  south  through 
its  centre,  along  which  the  alluvial  flats  are  very  extensive,  with  a  soil 
of  loam  and  vegetable  mould,  peculiarly  rich  and  fertile.  Much  of  the 
surface  of  this  county  i^.  hilly,  with  some  of  a  mountainous  character. 
The  soil  of  the  uplands  is  of  various  qualities,  generally  better  adapted 
to  grass  than  to  grain.  The  Schoharie  creek,  a  large  tributary  of  the 
Mohawk,  has  its  rise  in  Greene  county,  and  flows  northward  through 
the  centre  of  this  county.  In  its  course  it  receives  several  smaller 
streams,  the  principal  of  which  are  the  Cobelskill  on  the  west,  and 
Fox  creek  on  the  east.  The  Catskill  has  its  source  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county,  and  the  Delaware  and  Susquehannah  in  the  west- 
em.  The  county  is  well  watered,  and  possesses  many  fine  jiiill  sites. 
In  the  towns  rf  Summit,  Jefierson,  Blenheim,  Broome,  and  the  up- 
lands of  Middleburg  and  Fulton,  the  tenure  of  the  soil  is  generally  held 
by  lease,  the  *fee-simple  being  in  proprietors  of  large  tracts';  but  in 
these  towns,  there  are  many  tracts  upon  the  creek,  which  the  Germans 
have  taken  up  in  fee,  the  common  tenure  of  the  northern  towns.  The 
towns  of  Schoharie,  Cobelskill,  Sharon,  Fulton,  Middleburg,  and  por- 

tiouv.  of  Blenheim  and  Broome,  have  a  population  of  German  origin. 
/^^^„^^ _  i^.._..._ __  _ 


i:ic    


iiii; - 


SCHOHARIE    COUNTY. 


329 


children  are  educated  and  converse  in  English.  The  early  settlers 
suffered  much  from  Indian  hostilities,  and  during  the  revolution  the 
country  was  ovemm  by  the  British  and  Indians  under  Sir  John  John- 
son, Brant,  and  the  infamous  Walter  Butler.  The  county  is  divided 
into  12  towns :  ^      ««»mw« 


Blenheim, 

Broome, 

Carlisle, 


Cobelskill,  Jefferson,  Seward 

Conesville,  Middleburg,         Sharon,' 

l-ulton,  Schoharie,  Summit. 


Southeast  view  in  the  central  part  of  Schoharie. 


The  town  of  Schoharie  lies  on  the  flats,  near  the  junction  of  Scho- 
harie and  Fox  creeks,  32  miles  W.  of  Albany.  It  contains  about  100 
dwellings,  the  county  buildings,  1  Lutheran  and  1  Dutch  Reformed 
church,  and  an  academy.  The  above  engraving  is  a  SE.  view  in  the 
central  part  of  the  village  :  the  courthouse,  a  stone  building  3  stories 
high,  IS  seen  on  the  right ;  the  Lutheran  church  and  the  academy  ia 
the  distance.  ^ 

About  a  mile  N.  of  the  central  part  of  Schoharie  is  an  ancient  stone 
church,  which  was  used  as  a  fort  during  the  revolutionary  war.  When 
Sir  John  Johnson  ravaged  the  Mohawk  valley  in  1780,  he  visited 
»chohane,  and  after  making  an  unsuccessful  attack  on  the  Middle 
Jort,  he  proceeded  to  the  Lower  Fort,  as  this  church  was  called. 

"  When  they  arrived  at  the  Lower  Fort,  they  showed  little  disposition  to  attack  it. 
although  Its  garrison  did  not  amount  to  100  men.  They  separated  into  two  divisions,  tho 
regular  troops  mutchmg  along  tho  bank  of  the  creek,  and  the  Indians  filing  off  about  half  a 
mile  to  the  east  of  the  fort.  The  regulars  fired  a  few  cannon-shot  without  effect,  one  only 
'uiging  m  the  corner  of  the  church  ;  and  then,  after  sinking  one  of  their  field-pieces  in  a 
morass  marched  round  to  the  north  of  tfie  fort,  where  they  were  joined  by  the  Indians. 
Mere  they  fired  a  few  shot  with  small-arms,  and  a  fev  of  the  Indians  approached  near  • 
^ough  to  throw  their  bullets  into  the  tower  of  the  church,  where  some  marksmen  had 
twen  stationed.  A  discharge  of  grape  from  the  fort  drove  them  back,  and  they  continued 
tneir  march  through  the  woods  to  Fort  Hunter,  on  th*  Mohawk-  n»Hr  th»  "'"uth  "'  O""--- 
»auo  creek,  where  tftey  araf«d  «r(«r  dark. 

42 


* 
\.\\ 


!  I' 


/ 


330 


8ENECA   COUNTY. 


"  The  beautiful  valley  of  Schoharie  creek  preaented  a  acene  of  devamation,  on  ihe  night 
of  the  17th  of  October,  not  easily  described.  Houses,  bama,  and  numeroua  ■tacka  of  hay 
and  grnin  were  consumed ;  dome»tin  aniinalw  lay  dead  everywhere  over  the  fielda ;  a  few 
buildinga  belonging  to  the  royaliata  had  been  spared,  but  th*-  militia,  aallying  out,  act  fire 
to  tham  in  revenge.  ARt-r  the  burnuig  of  Schoharie,  thia  BeltlenuHit  ceaaed  to  be  ao  much 
an  object  of  tory  vengeancH ;  and  during  the  yeara  1781  and  1782,  though  there  were  fre- 
qaent  alarms,  little  damage  waa  done  by  the  enemy.  The  I  udiaiw  appeured  oiino  in  consid- 
erable numbers  ut  Cobbleakill,  burned  a  few  buildings,  killed  one  man,  aud  carried  off  five 
prisoneia  j  but  the  body  of  the  inhabitania  had  taken  refuge  in  a  fort  which  they  had  built 
on  their  return  from  Schoharie  in  1781,  and  were  safe."— ilnno/a  of  Tryon  County. 


SENECA  COUNTY. 

Seneca  county  was  t  iken  from  Cayuga  in  1804;  since  which 
other  counties  have  been  formed  from  it.  Its  greatest  length  N.  and  S. 
is  36  miles;  medium  width,  12.  Centrally  distant  from  New  York, 
317,  from  Albany,  172  miles.  The  land  rises  gently  from  the  Cayuga 
and  Seneca  lakes,  and  the  whole  county  is  pleasantly  diversified  with 
hills  and  vales.  The  soil  is  well  adapted  to  the  culture  of  grain, 
grasses,  and  fruit  trees,  being  principally  a  vegetable  mould  or  calcare- 
ous loam.  There  is  no  stream  of  importance  excepting  the  outlet  of 
the  Seneca  lake,  which  from  Waterloo  to  Sentca  lake  furnishes  much 
hydraulic  power.  The  lands  of  this  county  formed  part  of  the  military 
tract,  and  the  titles  therefore  are  derived  from  the  state  through  patents 
to  the  soldiers  of  the  revolution.  The  Erie  canal  just  touches  upon  the 
NE.  part,  in  the  town  of  Tyre.  The  railroad  passes  through  the  towns 
of  Waterloo  and  Seneca  Falls.    The  county  is  divided  into  10  towns : 

Covert,  Lodi,  Seneca  Falls,        Waterloo. 

Fayette,  Ovid,  Tyre, 

I       Junius,  Romulus,         Varick, 

Seneca  Falls  village  is  4  miles  E.  of  Waterloo,  11  from  Geneva,  3 
W.  of  Cayuga  bridge,  85  from  Utica,  and  167  from  Albany.  This  is 
a  flourishing  village,  containing  between  400  and  500  dwellings,  1 
Baptist,  1  Presbyterian,  1  Episcopal,  1  Methodist,  and  1  Catholic 
church,  an  academy,  and  3  newspaper  printing  establishments.  There 
is  at  this  place  a  heavy  water-power  of  47  feet  over  4  dams,  putting  in 
operation  7  extensive  flour-mills,  besides  quite  a  number  of  other  mills 
and  manufacturing  establishments.  The  following  engraving  is  an 
eastern  view  of  the  village,  the  river,  and  the  Cayuga  and  Seneca  ca- 
nal, with  one  of  the  locks,  &c. 

The  first  settlers  at  this  place  were  Horatio  Jones  and  Lawrence 
Van  Clief,  who  fixed  their  residence  here  shortly  after  the  revolution- 
ary war.  Van  Clief  was  a  soldier  in  Sullivan's  expedition.  The  vil 
lage  of  Seneca  Falls  was  founded  in  1815,  by  Col.  Mynderse,  who 
settled  here  in  1795,  and  built  the  first  flouring-mills  in  this  section  of 
the  state.     In  1827,  the  village  contained  only  265  inhabitants. 

Ovid,  the  half-shire  seat,  is  about  17  miles  SK  of  Waterloo.  It  is 
delightfully  situated  on  the  Newburg  turnpike.   The  viiiage  commands 


•BN1C\  COUNTY. 


331 


East  view  of  Seneca  Falls  village. 


a  view  of  a  large  part  of  both  lakes,  and  of  portions  of  9  adjoining  coun- 
ties, the  land  rising  gradually  to  it  from  the  lakes,  rich,  arable,  and 
hnely  cultivated  in  farms.  There  are  here  1  Presbyterian  and  1  Meth- 
odist church,  a  flourishing  academy,  and  about  lOU  dwellings. 

The  flourishing  village  of  Waterloo  is  situated  on  the  Seneca  outlet 
and  the  Seneca  and  Cayuga  canal,  4  miles  from  Seneca  Falls  village, 
7  from  Geneva,  and  167  from  Albany.  It  was  founded  in  1815,  by  the 
late  Ehsha  Williams,  of  Columbia  county,  and  was  made  a  half-shire 
village  in  1822.  It  contains  about  300  dwellings,  4  churches— 1 
Episcopal,  1  Methodist,  1  Presbyterian,  and  1  Baptist— and  about 
2,000  inhabitants.  With  the  village  of  Seneca  Falls,  Waterloo  pos- 
sesses the  advantage  of  the  lateral  canal  uniting  the  Seneca  and  Ca- 
yuga lakes  with  the  Erie  canal.  The  water  for  the  mills  at  this  place 
is  taken  from  the  river  and  canal,  and  used  under  a  head  of  15  feet. 


\ 


STEUBEN  COUNTY. 

Steuben  county,  named  in  honor  of  Major-general  Frederick  Wil- 
liam Baron  de  Steuben,  the  celebrated  tactici?.n  of  the  revolutionary 
army,  was  taken  from  Ontario  in  1796  ;  boundaries  since  much  alter- 
ed ;  from  Albany  centrally  distant  SW.  216  miles,  from  New  York 
W.  220 ;  length  and  breadth  40  miles.  The  surface  is  broken  and 
hilly,  if  not  mountainous.  Along  the  rivers,  the  general  aspect  of  the 
county  is  uninviting,  except  that  in  some  parts  the  alluvial  flats  are  ex- 
tensive and  rich.  The  river  hills  are  rocky,  precipitous,  and  covered 
with  evergreens  ;  but  the  upland  plains  have  a  rich  variety  of  trees, 

are  lumber,  grain,  cattle,  and  wool.    The  lumbering  is  the  chief  busi- 


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STEUBEN   COUNTY. 


V 


ness  of  the  southern  towns ;  but  as  the  country  is  cleared  of  its  forests, 
agriculture  nses  in  importance.  Chemung  nver  is  the  great  stream 
of  the  cpttiily  ;  it  was  called  by  the  Senecas  Cononque,  "  horn  in  the 
w^r;**  Its  flats  are  said  to  be  superior  in  fertility  to  the  Mohawk, 
fnis  county,  excepting  the  town  of  Reading  on  the  western  shore  of 
the  Seneca  lake,  was  included  in  the  extensive  cession  of  New  York 
to  Massachusetts,  and  passed  from  that  state,  through  Messrs.  Phelps 
and  Gorham  and  Robert  Morris,  to  Sir  William  Pulteney.  It  was 
mostly  settled  by  Pennsylvanians,  excepting  Prattsburg,  which  was 
settled  by  New  Englanders.    The  county  is  divided  into  27  towns ; 


Addison, 

Bath, 

Bradford, 

Cameron, 

Campbell, 

Canisteo, 

Caton, 


Conhocton, 

Dansville, 

Erwin, 

Greenwood, 

Hornby, 

Homeilsville, 

Howard, 


Jasper, 

Troupsburg, 

Lindley, 

Tyrone, 

Orange, 

Urbana, 

Painted  Post, 

Wayne, 

Prattsburg, 

Wheeler, 

Pultney,  ~ 

Woodhull. 

Reading, 

Bath,  the  county  seat,  on  the  bank  of  the  Conhocton  river,  and  1 1 
miles  north  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  railroad,  is  one  of  the  most 

{)Iea8ant  villages  in  the  western  part  of  the  state.  The  public  square, 
aid  out  in  1792  by  Capt.  Charles  Williamson,  has  the  county  and 
other  public  buildings,  and  several  elegant  private  mansions.  There 
Are  in  the  village,  a  bank,  4  churches,  and  about  200  dwellings.  Bath 
was  first  settled  in  1792,  by  Capt.  Charles  Williamson,  the  first  agent 
of  Sir  WiUiam  Pulteney,  after  whom  the  public  square  was  named. 
Sir  William,  who  was  a  noted  English  whig,  was  a  large  proprietor  in 
thjs  vicinity. 

"  At  the  head  of  the  Crooked  Lake  lies  the  flourishing  village  of 
Hammondsport,  8  miles  NE.  of  Bath,  founded  in  1826  by  Lazarus 
Hammond,  containing  1  Presbyterian  and  1  Episcopal  church,  and 
about  100  dwellings.  The  village  is  favorably  situated  for  trade,  by 
reason  of  the  lake.  It  must  become  the  port  of  the  county,  whence 
much  of  its  exports  will  seek  a  market  in  the  centre  of  the  state,  and 
at  the  towns  on  the  Hudson  river.  A  steamboat  daily  plies  between 
here  and  Penn  Yann,  the  capital  of  Yates  county ;  thence  the  Crooked 
Lake  canal  leads  to  the  Seneca  Lake,  which  is  connected  with  the 
Erie  canal  by  the  Seneca  and  Cayuga  canal,  by  which  route  there  is 
an  uninterrupted  water  communication  with  New  York." 

The  village  of  Painted  Post,  22  miles  SE.  of  Bath,  at  the  junction 
of  the  Conhodtoa  river  with  the  Tioga,  contains  about  60  dwellings, 
and  is  a  place  much  noted  in  the  early  history  of  this  section  of  the 
country.  The  celebrated  "painted  post"  from  which  the  town  of 
Painted  Post  derived  its  name,  formerly  stood  upon  the  bank  of  the 
river.  There  have  been  various  stories  in  relation  to  its  origin ;  the 
following  account,  taken  from  the  narrative  of  the  captivity  and  suffer- 
ings of  Gen.  ^Fregift  Patchin,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  a  party  of 
Iidianp  v^ifder  Brant  durin^g  tiie  revolution,  is  probably  correct. 


SUFFOLK   COUNTY. 


ts  forests, 
at  stream 
Dm  in  the 
Mohawk, 
shore  of 
few  York 
"B.  Phelps 
It  was 
hich  was 
towns : 


333 


"  Near  Urn,  we  found  the  funoiH  PAINTED  POST,  whluh^  now  known  over  the 
wbde  continent,  to  thoee  conTenant  with  the  early  hiatory  of  our  donntry ;  the  oririn  of 
which  was  aa  follows.  Whether  it  waa  in  the  revolution,  or  in  the  Dibaipore  battle*  with 
the  Indians,  which  commenced  m  Virginia,  or  in  the  French  war,  I  do  nol^kiiow ;  an  In- 
dian chief,  on  this  spot,  had  been  victorious  in  battle,  and  killed  and  took  priiOMn  to  the 
number  of  about  60.  This  event  ho  celebrated  by  causing  a  tree  to  be  taken  ffDii»4te 
forest  and  hewed  four  square,  pahited  red,  and  the  number  he  killed,  which  was  98,  rep- 
resented across  the  post  m  Mack  paint,  without  any  heads,  but  those  he  took  wMoners, 
which  was  30,  were  represented  with  heads  on  in  black  paint,  as  the  others.  This  post 
he  erected,  and  thus  handed  down  to  posterity  an  account  that  here  a  battle  was  fought ; 
but  by  whom,  and  who  the  sufbrers  were,  is  covered  in  darkness,  except  ^at  it  waa  be- 
tween the  whites  and  Indians." 


»urg» 


dl. 


r,  and  1 1 
the  most 
ic  square, 
Dunty  and 
I.  There 
gs.  Bath 
^rst  agent 
s  named, 
iprietor  in 

village  of 
f  Lazarus 
lurch,  and 
■  trade,  by 
f,  whence 
state,  and 
J  between 
3  Crooked 
[  with  the 
B  there  is 

e  junction 
Jwellings, 
3n  of  the 
town  of 
nk  of  the 
igin;  the 
nd  sufFer- 
L  party  of 
t. 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 

Suffolk  county,  which  comprises  about  two-thirds  of  Lonff  Island, 
was  organized  in  1683,  at  which  time  the  ridmgs  were  abolished,  and 
Long  Island  was  divided  into  three  counties,  as  they  have  remained 
ever  since.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  in  length,  and  in 
some  parts  twenty  in  width.  On  the  north  side  next  the  sound  the 
land  is  considerably  broken  and  hilly ;  in  the  interior,  and  on  the  south 
side,  it  is  mostly  a  sandjr  plain,  covered  for  the  grobter  part  with  forests 
of  pine,  in  which  the  wild  deer  is  still  an  inhabitant.  The  county  is 
not  well  watered,  the  streams  being  few  and  small.  The  chief  busi- 
ness of  the  inhabitants  is  agriculture  and  fishing ;  they  also  send  large 
quantities  of  pine  wood  to  market.  The  original  settlers  of  the  county 
were  mostly  from  New  England,  and  the  irAabitants  have  ever  retain- 
ed to  a  great  degree  the  habits  and  manners  of  the  Puritans.  The 
county  is  divided  into  9  towns,  all  of  which,  except^  Riverhead,  were 
orgamzed  in  1788 :  '  »  | 

Brookhaven,  Islip,  Smithtown, 

East  Hampton,  Riverhead,  Southampton,    i 

Huntington,  Shelter  Island,  Southold. 

The  following  is  a  northern  view  of  Sagg  Harbor,  situated  in  the 
NE .  corner  of  the  town,  1 00  miles  from  New  York.  It  has  a  good  har- 
bor, lying  on  an  arm  of  Gardiner's  Bay.  The  village  contains  400 
dweUings,  1  Presbyterian,  1  Methodist,  1  Catholic,  and  1  African 
church,  2  printing  offices,  and  about  3,000  inhabitants.  The  wealth 
and  trade  of  the  place  may  with  propriety  be  said  to  be  founded  on 
the  whaling  business. 

"  Sagg  Harbor  is  the  most  populous,  weahhy,  and  commercial 
place  in  the  county,  and  may  therefore  not  improperly  be  considered 
the  emporium  of  SuflFolk.  The  capital  employed  in  trade  here  proba- 
bly exceeds  that  of  the  whole  county  besides,  there  being  nearly  a 
million  of  dollars  invested  in  the  whale-fishery  alone,  employing  a  ton- 
nage of  more  than  six  thousand,  exclusive  of  several  fine  packets  and 
other  vessels  engaged  in  the  coasting  business.    It  is  supposed  that 


^' 


^' 


334 


SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


J 


no  permanent  settTement  was  attempted  here  previous  to  1730,  and 
then  only  a  fipr  small  cottages  were  erected  near  the  head  of  the 


Northern  view  of  Sagg  Harbor,  Long  Island.  * 

present  wharf,  for  the  convenience  of  those  engaged  in  fishing.    Most 
of  the  land  m  the  vicinity  was  then  covered  with  timber  and  forest, 
and  It  13  probable,  also,  that  no  inconsiderable  number  of  Indians 
dwelt  m  the  vicmity.    In  1760,  several  respectable  families  established 
themselves  here,  perceiving  that  it  possessed  many  local  advantages, 
and  built  for  themselves  comfortable  houses.     In  1767,  the  number  of 
inhabitants  had  so  increased,  that  it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  house  for 
public  worship  ;  and  without  the  advantage  of  regular  preaching,  the 
people  were  accustomed  to  assemble  on  the  Sabbath  at  the  beat  of 
drum,  and  hear  a  sermon  read  by  one  of  the  congregation.     They  be- 
gan soon  after  more  largely  to  appreciate  the  commercial  facilities 
offered  by  the  adjacent  waters,  and  fresh  efforts  were  made  to  improve 
upon  the  old  practice  of  boat-whaling.    For  this  end  small  sloops 
were  fitted  out,  and  ranged  the  ocean  at  some  distance  from  the 
coast ;  but  when  a  whale  was  caught,  it  became  necessary  to  return 
to  port  for  the  purpose  of  boiling  out  the  oil  upon  the  shore.    The 
business  had  made  but  little  progress  when  hostilities  commenced  be- 
tween  the  mother  country  and  her  colonies  in  1775 ;  and  this  island 
being  the  next  year  abandoned  to  the  enemy,  commerce  of  every  kind 
was  of  course  suspended  till  the  close  of  the  contest  in  1783.    Sev- 
eral British  ships  took  their  stations  in  the  bay,  and  this  village  was 
inade  not  only  a  depot  for  ihilitary  stores,  but  the  garrison  for  a  con. 
siderable  body  of  soldiers.    During  the  war  it  became  the  theatre  of 
one  of  the  most  extraordinary  feats  that  was  accomplished  during  the 
revolution.    It  has  generally  been  denominated  Meigs'  Expedition, 
and  the  circumstances  are  thus  related  by  the  historians  of  that  period : 
"  In  reUliaUon  foi  the  burning  of  Ridgefield,  in  Connecticut,  by  Gen.  Arnold  and  the 


8UP70LK  COUNTY. 


335 


wretdiM  under  hh  eoinmaiid.  in  April,  1777,  a  few  loldien  torn  Newhaven  went  on  a 
mdatofy  ezourrion  to  Long  bland.  A  quantity  of  proryona  had  been  collected  at  San 
HaAw,  and  to  dertroy  theaa  was  the  object  of  the  expedition.  The  enterpriae  waa  rao 
of  tto  BHMt  qMrited  and  tucoearful  of  that  eventftd  period.  Gen.  PatMua  conceived  it 
powMe  to  lurpriM  the  place,  and  confided  the  ezecuUon  of  it  to  Lientenant-eelonel  Mein, 
who  embarked  ftom  Newhaven,  May  91, 1777,  with  two  hundred  and  thirty-fdurmen.  in 
thirteen  whale-boata  He  praeeeded  to  Guilford,  but  on  account  of  the  rouirhnew  ofthe 
r*:  TJ^  ^^f'Z'^  •onnd  tiU  the  93d.  On  that  day,  at  one  o'clock  in  tEe  afternoon, 
he  left  Guilford  wUb  one  hundred  and  ieventy  men,  under  convoy  of  two  armed  sIoom. 
and  oroMed  the  aonsd  to  Soatbold,  where  he  arrived  at  6  o'clock.  The  enemy'a  troops  on 
thia  pwt  of  the  island  had  taarehed  for.  New  York  two  or  three  days  before,  but  it  waa 
reported  Ujat  there  waa  a  party  at  Sagg  Harbor  on  the  south  branch  of  the  island,  about 
fifteen  milea  distant  CoL  Nel||i  ordered  the  whale-boats  to  be  trannwrted  over  the  land 
to  the  bay  between  the  north  and  south  branches  of  the  island,  where  one  hundred  and 
thirty  men  embarked,  and  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night  airived  safely  on  the  other  side  of 
the  bay  within  four  miles  of  Sagg  Harbor.  Hero  the  boats  were  secured  in  a  wood,  under 
a  g[uard,  and  the  remainder  ofthe  detachment  marched  quickly  to  the  harbor,  where  they 
arnved  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  in  the  greatest  order,  attacking  the  outpost  with 
fixed  bayonets,  and  proceeding  directly  to  the  shipping  at  the  wharf,  which  they  found 
unprepared  for  defence.  The  alarm  was  given,  and  an  armed  schooner  with  twelve  guns 
and  seventy  men  began  to  fire  upon  them  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards, 
which  continued  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  but  did  not  prevent  the  troops  from  executing 
their  design  with  the  greatest  intrepidity  and  effect  Twelve  brigs  and  sloops,  one  of  which 
was  an  armed  vessel  of  twelve  guns,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons  of  hay,  com,  oato, 
ten  hogsheads  of  rum,  and  a  large  quantity  of  mefohandise,  were  entirely  destroyad.  Six 
of  the  enemy  were  killed,  and  ninety  taken  prisouers.  Not  one  of  Col.  Meigs'  men  waa 
either  killed  or  wounded.  He  returned  to  Guilford  at  tw  * 'clock  in  the  aftemeou,  hav- 
ing been  absent  only  twenty-five  hours ;  and  in  that  tim';  aad  transported  his  troops  by 
land  and  water  full  ninety  miles,  and  completed  his  undertaking  with  the  most  entire 
success." 


The  village  of  Riverhead,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  upon  Peconic 
creek  or  river,  a  mill  stieam,  about  2  miles  above  laconic  bay, 
about  90  miles  from  New  York,  24  from  Sagg  Harbor,  and  23  from 
Greenport.  The  village  contains  about  70  dwellings,  a  large  proportion 
of  which  are  one  story  in  height,  1  Methodist,  1  Congregational,  and  1 
Swedenborg  or  New  Jerusalem  church,  an  academy,  and  about  500 
inhabitants. 

The  village  of  Southampton  is  built  on  a  single  street,  18  miles 
from  Riverhead.  The  village  of  Greenport,  at  the  eastern  termination 
of  the  Long  Island  raihroad,  contains  3  churches  and  about  100  dwell- 
ings. The  village  of  Huntington,  40  miles  W.  from  Riverhead 
and  45  from  New  York,  has  2  churches,  an  academy,  and  about 
100  dwellings  in  the  vicinity.  Patchogue,  60  miles  from  New  York, 
28  from  Riverhead,  contains  2  churches  and  about  75  dwellings.  Se- 
tauket,  on  the  N.  side  of  the  island,  is  an  ancient  village,  containing  2 
churches  and  upwards  of  100  dwellings. 

The  village  of  Easthampton,  near  the  eastern  extremity  of  Long 
Island,  about  .110  miles  from  New  York,  consists  of  aJbiout  100  dwe£ 
ings,  on  a  single  street  about  a  mile  in  length.  The  Clinton  academy 
was  erected  here  in  1785,  being  the  first  institution  of  the  kind  erected 
on  Long  Island. 

The  peninsula  of  Montauk  contains  9,000  acres.  The  land  is 
owned  by  about  forty  individuals,  as  tenants  in  common.  The  In- 
dians have  non-fructuary  interest  in  a  portion  of  the  land ;  but  as  the 
^~~~  "  nearly  extinct,  iuis  iucurnbrancc  must  be  of  short  duration. 


/ 


race 


13 


/ 


336 


*»■• 


/        * 

/      SUFFOLK  COUNTY. 


Vieu)  ofMontauk  Point,  Long  Island. 

The  aoil  is  generally  good,  and  is  used  as  pasture  land.  The  surface 
is  rough,  and  in  some  places  precipitous.  "  There  is  a  sublimity  and 
wildness,  as  well  as  solitariness  here,  which  leave  a  powerful  impres- 
sion on  the  heart.  In  a  storm,  the  scene  which  the  ocean  presents  is 
awfully  grand  and  terrific.  On  the  extreme  point  stands  the  tall  white 
column  erected  by  the  government  for  a  lighthouse  in  1795,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  $22,300.  It  is  conitructed  of  stone,  in  the  most  substantial 
manner." 

Gardiner's  Island  contains  about  3,300  acres,  with  a  sml  mostly  of 
a  good  quality ;  the  nearest  point  of  distance  to  Long  Island  is  three 
miles.  Lyon  Gardiner,  the  first  settler  on  the  island,  was  a  native  of 
Scotland.  He  belonged  to  the  repubUcan  party,  with  the  illustrious 
Hampden,  Cromwell,  and  others. 

\  The  notorious  pirate  William  Kidd  visited  this  island,  and  buried  a 
valuable  treasure.  From  this  circumstance,  doubtless,  have  arisen  the 
niiflnerous  legends  respecting  the  burial  of  "  Kidd's  money,"  in  many 
places  along  the  coast. 

'•  Kidd,  on  his  homeward  panage  At>m  the  Weot  Indies  to  Boaton,  where  he  was  finally 
apprehended,  anchored  m  Gardiner's  bay,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  owner  of  the  island, 
Mr.  Gardiner,  and  under  the  most  solemn  injunctions  of  secrecy,  buried  a  pot  of  gold,  sil- 
vet,  and  precious  stones.  On  the  3d  of  July,  1699,  he  was  summoned  before  Lord  Bella- 
mi^nt,  at  Boston,  and  ordered  to  report  his  proceedings  while  in  the  service  of  the  company ; 
which  refusing  to  do,  he  was  immediately  arrested,  and  transported  to  England,  where  he 
was  tried,  convicted,  and  executed  at  <  Execution  Dock'  on  the  ISth  of  May,  1701.  He 
was  found  guilty  of  the  murder  of  William  Moore,  gunner  of  the  ship,  and  was  hung  in 
chains.  Mr.  John  G.  Gardiner  has  a  small  piece  of  gold  cloth,  which  bis  father  received 
from  Mrs.  Wetmore,  who  gave  also  the  fdlowing  account  of  Kidd's  visit  to  the  island.  '  I 
remember,'  she  says, '  when  very  young,  hearing  my  mother  say  that  her  grandmother 
was  the  wife  to  Lord  Gardiner  when  the  punte  came  to  that  island.  He  wanted  Mn. 
Gardiner  to  roast  him  a  pig ;  she  being  afraid  to  refuse  him,  roasted  it  very  nice,  and  he 
was  much  pleased  with  it.  He  then  made  her  a  present  of  this  cloth,  which  she  gave  to 
her  two  daughtem ;  what  became  of  the  other  I  know  not ;  but  this  was  handed  down  to 
me,  and  k,  I  beUam,  as  nice  as  when  first  given,  which  must  be  upwards  of  a  hundred 
years.'  It  havmg  been  .ascertained  that  he  had  buried  treasures  upon  this  island,  com- 
misHoners  were  sent  by  Governor  Bellamont,  who  obtained  the  same,  and  for  which  they 
gave  a  receipt" 


BOLUTAir  COnilTY. 


tSf 


SULLIVAN  COUNTY. 


V 


SuLMTAN  couN-nr  was  erected  in  March,  1809,  from  Ulster  coimty. 
and  received  its  name  in  honor  of  General  Sulliyan,  an  officer  of  the 
revolutionary  army.  It  is  centrally  distant  from  New  York  about  100 
miles  NW.,  and,  by  the  routes  usually  travelled,  llSs  SW.  of  Albanv 
Greatest  length  NW.  and  SE.  46,  and  greatest  breadth  NE.  and  SW 
?7r  ™r  TT,"  "°  *^°"°*y  °^  Sullivan  is  situated  on  the  Delaware  river, 
W.  of  Ulster  county,  in  a  region  of  broken  land.  It  contains  a  huge 
proportion  of  mountainous  country.  The  Newburg  and  Cochecton 
turnpike  runs  centrally  and  westerly  across  the  county ;  and  on  this 
road  and  the  Eokware  river  are  the  principal  settlements.  The  New 
York  and  Erie  railroad  runs  through  the  southern  portion.  The 
northern  part  is  the  wildest  and  least  setUed.  The  Delaware  and 
Hudson  canal  passes  through  the  valley  of  Bashe's  kill  into  Orange, 
and  returns  from  that  county  by  the  ydley  of  the  Delaware,  almig 
which  It  extends  m  this  county  about  15  Ifles,  to  the  dam  opposite  the 
Laxawaxen  river.  The  country  along  the  Delaware  is  not  favorable 
for  agriculture;  generally  the  highlands  are  preferred  for  cultivation, 
being  more  dry,  and  productive  of  finer  grass  than  the  valleys,  which 
are  commonly  wet  and  cold.  Upon  the  Delaware,  and  the  streams 
which  flow  into  it,  the  inhabitants  are  chiefly  engaged  in  lumbering. 
With  the  exception  of  a  small  tract  on  the  southeast,  in  the  Minisiiik 
patent,  the  whole  county  was  covered  by  the  Hacdenburgjjatent,  vox* 
der  which  there  are  now  some  extensive  landholders.  TTie  inhabit- 
ants are  chiefly  of  Dutch  and  New  England  descent.  About  one-teni 
of  the  county  only  is  improved.    It  is  divided  into  10  towns :  ^ 


Bethel,  Forrestburg, 

Cochecton,      Liberty, 
Fallsburg,       Lumberland, 


Mamakating,        Thompson. 

Neversmk, 

Rockland, 


Monticello,  the  county  seat,  on  the  Newburg  and  Cochecton  turn- 
pike, named  after  Jeflferson's  residence,  was  founded  m  1804,  by 
Messrs.  Samu^  F.  and  J.  P.  Jones,  from  New  Lebanon,  Columbia 
county,  who  were  proprietorB  of  most  of  the  lands  in  the  yidfiity 
Judge  Piatt  Pelton  built  the  second  frame  house  hera  in  1806.    The 
village  was  incorporated  in  1830,  and  consists  of  the  county  build 
ings,  2  churches,  and  about  60  dwellings,  distant  38  miles  from  New 
burg,  and  110  from  Albaay.    Bloomingburg,  23  miles  W.  of  New 
burg,  was  incorporated  in  1833,  and  consists  of  about  76  dwellings,  2 
churches,  and  an  academy. 

43 


/ 


* 


•r^' 


SIS 


TIOGA   COUNTY. 


I  m.' 


^ --^  TIOGA  COUNTY. 

Tioga  county,  taken  from  Montgomery  in  1794;  bounds  since 
much  altered  :  still  further  reduced  in  1836,  by  the  erection  of  Che- 
mung county  from  its  western  portion.  Greatest  length  E.  and  W. 
31,  greatest  breadth  N.  and  S.  29  miles.  This,  with  Chemung  coun- 
ty, is  part  of  the  broad  and  long  belt  extending  westerly  from  Ulster 
and  Greene  counties  to  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Erie,  preserving  for  a 
great  part  of  the  distance  a  mean  height  of  about  1,600  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  ocean.  The  soil  of  the  county  consists  generally  of  sandy 
and  gravelly  loam,  interspersed  with  patches  of  mud  and  clay.  The 
uplands  are  commonly  better  adapted  to  grass  than  grain  ;  but  the  val- 
leys give  fine  crops  of  wheat  and  corn  ;  oats,  barley,  peas,  beans,  and 
hops  thrive  almost  everyVvhere.  The  Susquehnnnah  is  the  principal 
stream  of  the  county.  Thb  New  York  and  Erie  railroad  crosses  the 
county  E.  and  W. ;  and  the  railroad  from  Owego  to  Ithaca  N.  and  S. 
The  county  is  divided  into  9  towns : 


I « 


Barton, 

Berkshire, 

Candot) 


Newark, 
Nichols, 
Owego, 


Richford, 
Spencer, 
Tioga. 


West  view  of  the  courthouse  and  other  buildings,  Owego. 

Owego  village,  the  county  seat,  is  30  miles  SE.  of  Ithaca,  and  167 
from  Albany  on  the  N.  side  of  Susquehannah  river.  The  building 
with  a  cupola  near  the  centre  of  the  drawing  is  the  courthouse,  the  one 
on  the  rignt  the  academy,  both  of  which  face  the  public  square.  There 
are  in  the  village  4  churches,  a  bank,  capital  $200,000,  3  fine  hotels, 
an  academy,  and  upwards  of  200  dwellmgs.  The  railroad  which  ex- 
tends from  here  to  Ithaca,  was  the  second  chartered  in  the  state,  (1828,) 
snd  IS  2?^  iiiixcs  m  isnirtii.     x  he  naiXic 


r\ , 


xuuiuu  urigizi, 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY 


A 


339 


■ignifying  smft  or  swift  river,  and  was  applied  to  the  Owego  creek, 
which  emptfbs  into  the  Susquehannah  about  half  a  mile  from  the  vil- 
lage. About  the  year  1783  or  1784,  James  McMaster  and  Amos 
Draper  purchased  of  the  Indians  what  they  called  a  half  township, 
comprising  11,600  acres,  and  embracing  the  site  upon  which  theTU- 
lage  now  stands.  "  In  1786,  McMaster,  and  William  Taylor,  still  liv- 
ing in  Owego,  and  then  a  bound  boy  to  McMaster,  came  and  cleared 
in  one  season  10  or  16  acres  of  landf,  and  through  the  summer  planted 
and  raised  a  crop  of  corn  from  the  same.  This  was  the  first  transition 
of  the  ground,  where  Owego  now  stands,  fron)  a  wilderness  state.  In 
1794  or  1795,  McMaster  and  Hudson,  a  surveyor,  laid  out  the  village 
into  streets  and  lots,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  what  Owego  now 

is  or  shall  be  hereafter The  sources  of  wealth,  as  the  village 

grew  up,  were  salt  from  Salina,  brought  to  the  place  and  carried  down 
tne  river  in  arks  for  the  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  markets,  wheat 
from  the  north,  which  was  also  transported  down  the  river,  lumber, 
also,  and  plaster." 

"  A  few  years  after  this  section  was  settled,  there  prevailed  an  ex- 
tensive and  serious  famine.  It  was  felt  more  particularly  in  the  region 
between  Owego  and  Elmira,  embracing  Tioga.  It  was  experienced 
even  down  to  Wyoming.  For  six  weeks  or  more,  the  inhabitants  were 
without  bread  or  its  kind.  This  season  of  famishing  occurred  imme- 
diately before  the  time  of  harvesting The  inhabitants,  as  a 

substitute  for  more  substantial  food,  gathered,  or  rather,  it  is  believed, 
dug  what  were  called  wild  beans ;  which,  it  seems,  were  found  in 
considerable  quantities.  They  would  also  gather  the  most  nutritious 
roots  and  eat  them."  . 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY. 


\ 


Tompkins  county,  named  in  honor  of  the  Hon.  Daniel  D.  Tomp- 
kins, formerly  Vice-president  of  the  United  States,  was  taken  from 
Cayuga  and  Seneca  counties  in  1817 ;  limits  since  changed.  Great- 
est length  E.  and  W.  34,  greatest  breadth  N.  and  S.  28  miles  ;  cen- 
trally distant  from  New  York  212,  and  from  Albany  163  miles. 
This  county  forms  part  of  the  high  land  in  the  southwestern  portion 
of  the  state.  Its  summit  generally  is  elevated  from  1,200  to  1,400 
feet,  but  the  singular  and  deep  basins  in  which  lie  the  Cayuga  and 
Seneca  lakes,  have  given  a  peculiar  formation  to  it»^  surface,  and  to 
the  course  and  character  of  its  streams.  The  Cayuga  lake  indents 
it  on  the  N.  about  18  miles ;  the  Seneca  lake  extends  southerly  on 
its  western  border  12  miles.  The  greater  portion  of  the  country 
declines  from  all  sides  towards  the  Cayuga  lake.  The  ascent  from 
the  shores  of  the  Irke  is  gradual  and  smooth  to  the  eye,  yet  it  is 
rapid,  and  attains  \/ithin  2  miles  the  height  of  at  least  600  feet. 
This  gives  to  the  streams  a  precipitous  character.     The  towns  of 


840 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY. 


I  .* 


M™!  w^f  •  y*  "'I'i,^"''''^'  ^^'^  purchased  from  the  state  by 
Messrs.  Watkas  and  F  mt.  The  towns  north  of  these?  excepting  a 
■maUporUonm  the  northeastern  part  of  Dryden,  belong  to  the  mili- 

!I2L?^'  i.n     P^f'??  ^5?  '"  **»"  ^«"»o»  to  Massachusetts.    The 
pountjr  18  chiefly  settled  by  New  England  emigrants.    The  New  York 
and  hne  railroad  passes  through  the  county.    Tompkins  county  is  di 
Tided  mto  10  towns :  ^  r  j        • 


Caroline, 

Danby, 

Dryden, 


Enfield, 
Groton, 
Hector, 


Ithaca, 

Lansing, 

Newfield, 


Ulysses. 


The  village  of  Ithaca  was  founded  by  the  late  Simeon  De  Witt,  sun- 
IXKk  i  ^  r  '^^^'  ,  ^f  "  beautifully  situated  about  a  mib  and 
«nnn  tU  hM?  ^t!  '^T^"  l*^''  PV^'*"^  "P°"  ^^e  flats  and  partially 
upon  the  hill  It  18  distant  163  miles  from  Albany,  40  SE.  from  Ge- 
neva,  and  29  from  Owego.  The  Cayuga  inlet  is  navigable  o  the  lake 
for  boats  of  60  tons,    fthaca  is  well  located  for  tradS.     It  communi- 

R^ZZ^  '\^'''  ^^^W^^'  l^^^  »"d  Seneca  canal,  and  1^X0 
Susquehannah  river  and  the  line  of  the  Erie  railroad,  by  the  Owego  rail- 
rM;,W ^'''i  T  5ontams  upwards  of  700  dwellings,  1  Presbyterian. 
1  Methodist  1  Episcopal,  1  baptist,  and  1  Dutch  Wormed  church 
the  Ithaca  Academy  2  banks,  several  printing  oflices,  a  very  extensive 
XuT- "fiJin -"^h  estebhshment,  a  variety  of  mifls  and  manufactories,  and 
about  .,000  inhabitants     The  Ithaca  and  Owego  railroad,  the  second 

A«^ri  V^^  ?!"'  i*®^®'^  •?  2?*  "'^««  ^«  ^«V-  It  a;cends  from 
the  level  of  the  lake  by  two  inclined  planes;  flie  first,  l,733i  feet 
long,  rises  one  foot  in  4.28,  or  405  feet;  the  other,  2,225  feet  lonir  as- 
cends  1  footm  21  feet.    The  whole  elevation  abo;e  the  laketer- 

fpTn  n  '"'  «;^'"  ®  ™^^'* '  ^*""  ""^^^  tb«^«  "  ^  descent  of  376 
teet  to  Owego.  Stationary  steam-power  is  used  upon  the  first,  and 
horae-power  upon  the  second  plane  and  other  portions  of  the  road 

Trumajisburg.  11  miles  N\<^.  of  Ithaca,  contains  about  loS  dwell- 
inm,  3  churches,  a  female  semmary,  and  several  stores  and  mills. 
P.r  S- y  ''T^'  *^°"J  ^®  ""®«  fr°™  Ithaca,  are  the  Taghcanic 
foS  f^PtTtt^f  "  ^v°"*  T.  ^'^'  '^  ^^'S^''  *»d  the  rockf  tower 
i^5  .  Ki— i  ^*  i^'^^^l^  ^'^°™  ^b°^«  o^  beneath,  the  scene  is 
one  of  sublimity.  The  latter,  however,  is  the  best.  To  witness  this, 
the  visiter  IS  obliged  to  go  down  the  stream  about  a  mile,  and  return  b^ 
the  valley,  which  is  bounded  by  a  rocky  gorge,  with  perpendicular 
rocks  nsing  m  some  places  400  or  500  feet  ibove  the  beiof  the  creek, 
when  the  pcene  bursts  suddenly  upon  him  in  all  its  wUdness  and  ma- 
jesty. 


\ 


)  state  by 
ccepting  a 
the  mili- 
itt«.  The 
New  York 
inty  is  di 

9S. 


Witt,  sur- 
Riile  and 
partially 
from  Ge- 
)  the  lake 
;ommuni- 
with  the 
vego  rail- 
ibyterian, 
1  church, 
extensive 
iries,  and 
e  second 
nds  from 
33i  feet 
long,  as- 
ke  over- 
lit  of  376 
first,  and 
oad. 

0  dwell- 
ills. 

ighcanic 
is  tower 
scene  is 
ess  this, 
3tum  by 
ndicular 
le  creek, 
and  ma- 


M 


0' 


\ 

Yol 
len| 
cou 
fror 
regi 
new 
ider 
angi 
rive: 
nam 
sett] 

ginl 
on 
are  i 
pow 

ti 

ters 

of  \ 

towi 

inha 

has  1 

few 

as  ei 

8ettl( 

uabli 

coun 

othei 

appe 

whei 

14  U 


Ki 

ingc 
place 
ster, 
villa; 
lowii 


VUTIB  COVNTY. 


341 


ULSTER  COUNTY. 

Uuni,  an  original  county,  waa  organized  in  1688.  It  is  from  New 

I^^lT'^'J^^'^Sf  ?•  *  \\  ^  from  Albwiy  S.  60  mile..  Gxeateat 
length  E.  and  W.  60,  breadth  N.  and  S.  40  milea.  The  face  of  the 
country  w  mountainous.  The  Shawangunk  mountain  enten  the  county 
from  Orange,  and  ninninff  NE.  nearly  80  milei,  linki  into  low  and  ir- 
regular bill,  m  Hurley;  but  its  continuity  is  preserred  to  Kinnton 

Identified  with  the  Catskill  mountams.  Between  the  Blue  and  Shaw- 
angunk mountains  is  a  broad  valley  through  which  winds  the  Rondout 
mer,  a  stream  whose  name  is  a  corruption  of  the  word  Redoubt,  so 
named  aftw  a  fortification  built  upon  the  stream  by  the  early  Dutch 
settlers.     The  Wallkill  runs  a  northeast  course  south  of  the  Shawan- 

gmk  mountain,  receivinja;  the  Shawangunk  creek,  and  uniting  with  the 
ondout,  8  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  three  streams  above  noticed 
are  the  great  drains  of  the  county,  and  afford  very  advantageous  mill 
power,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  tide,  much  of  which  is  yet  unem- 
ployed. In  the  west  the  Nevisink  river  and  other  tributaries  of  the 
Delaware  have  their  sources.  The  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  en- 
ters the  county  at  its  southwest  border,  and  passing  through  the  towns 
ot  Wawarsing,  Rochester,  Marbletown,  and  Hurley,  unites  in  the 
•°n-  ^'"8»ton  with  the  Rondout,  2*  miles  from  the  Hudson.  Thp 
inhabitants  are  much  en^ged  in  manufacturing,  and  much  attention 
has  been  given  to  the  raising  of  sheep  and  cattle,  for  which  purpose 
few  counUes  are  better  adapted.  The  county  was  settled  by  the  Dutch 
as  early  as  1616.  Tradition  says  that  at  a  very  early  period  there  were 
settlers  upon  the  Minisink  on  the  Delaware,  who  transported  some  val- 
uable minerals  by  the  road  along  the  Rondout  to  the  Nortli  river.  This 
county- appears  to  have  suffered  more  from  Indian  hostilities  than  any 
other  portion  of  the  country  while  under  the  Dutch.  The  quarrel 
appears  to  have  arisen  on  account  of  an  Indian  woman  being  killed 
when  stealing  peaches  from  a  garden.  The  county  is  divided  into 
14  towns : 


Esopus,  Marlborough, 

Hurley,  New  Paltz, 

Kineston,  Olive, 

Marbletovni,  Plattekill, 


Rochester,        Wawarsing, 
Saugerties,       Woodstock. 
Shandaken, 
Shawangunk, 


Kmgston  was  one  of  the  earliest  Dutch  settlements  in  the  state,  hav- 
ing commenced  in  the  year  1616,  and  i»  said  to  have  been  the  third 
place  settled  in  New  York.  In  the  year  1662,  it  had  a  settled  min- 
sier,  and  the  county  records  commence  about  that  period.  Kingston 
village,  formerly  called  Esopus,  was  incorporated  in  1805.  The  fol- 
lowiUff  enirravinir  shown  thn  nnnAamnrA  nf  tVio  mlloffA 


^^"' 


W7     TIVTTV«    £XVIXI 


342 


ULBTSR  COUKTT. 


Eastern  view  of  Kingston. 

from  a  dwelling  house  situated  on  a  gentle  emine.-'ce  a  few  rods  south 
of  the  Rondout  road.  The  Catskill  mountains  are  seen  in  the  ex- 
treme distance.  The  village  is  regularly  laid  out  on  ten  streets,  and 
beautifully  situated  on  the  fertile  pine  flats  elevated  about  40  feet  above 
the  Esopus  creek.  These  flats  commence  at  Kingston  and  extend  to 
Saugerties,  about  ten  or  twelve  miles,  and  are  from  two  to  two  and  a 
haJf  miles  in  width.  The  village  contains  the  county  buildings,  1  Dutch 
Reformed,  1  Episcopal,  1  Methodist,  and  1  Baptist  church,  an  acade- 
my, 2  banks,  3  newspaper  establishments,  a  large  iron  foundry,  and 
about  275  dwellings,  many  of  which  are  built  of  blue  limestone.  It  is 
58  miles  from  Albany,  93  from  New  York,  and  about  3  from  the  land- 
ing on  Hudson  river.  The  village  of  Rondout,  about  a  mile  from  the 
Hudson,  /as  founded  in  1828  by  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  being  a  place  of  deposite  for  their  coal.  It  contains  a  church 
and  about  75  dwellings. 

The  village  of  Kingston  was  one  J  the  largest  places  in  the  prov- 
ince of  New  York  previous  to  the  revolution.  It  was  laid  in  ashes 
by  the  British  under  General  Vaughan  in  October,  1777,  and  a  large 
quantity  of  public  stores  were  destroyed.  It  is  stated  that  at  that 
period  the  village  was  nearly  as  large  as  it  is  at  the  present  time. 
Every  house,  excepting  one  in  which  Mrs.  Hammer^ly  resided,  vvas 
destroyed.  This  lady  being  acquainted  with  some  of  the  British 
officers,  it  was  spared  on  her  account.  The  following  account  of  the 
burning  of  this  place  is  from  the  Connecticut  Journal  of  October 
27th  :— 

••  In  our  laat  we  observed  that  the  British  proceeded  up  the  river  past  this  place.  As  thay 
went  along,  they  burnt  a  few  mills,  houses,  and  boats.  On  Friday  they  reached  Esopuc, 
and  there  landed  a  number  of  men,  who  marched  up  to  the  defenceless  town  of  Kingston, 
about  two  miles  from  the  river,  and  immediately  set  it  on  fire  ;  the  conflagration  was  gen- 
aral  in  a  few  minutes,  and  in  a  shart  time  that  pleasant  and  wealthy  town  was  reduced  to 
ashes  ;  only  one  house  escaping  the  flames.  Thus  by  the  wantonness  of  power,  the  third 
town  in  this  state  for  size,  elegance,  and  wealth,  is  reduced  to  a  heap  of  rubbish  ;  and  the 


VLSTBR  COUNTY. 


343 


once  happy  inhabitanto,  (who  are  ohieflv  of  Dutoh  dewent,)  obUged  to  solicit  for  shelter 
among  strangers,  and  those  who  possessed  lately  elegant  and  convenient  dwellinn,  obliired 
to  take  up  with  sooh  huts  as  they  find  can  defend  them  from  the  cold  blasts  of  approachinff 
wmter.  We  earn  that  the  inhabitants  saved  the  best  part  of  their  moveable  property,  but 
some  lost  the  best  part  of  their  temporal  all.  'Tie  said  the  enemy  toolc  litUe  timeto  plun- 
der,  being  told  that  General  Clinton  was  at  hand  with  1,500  men,  but  unluckily  not  w 
near  as  to  save  the  town.  They  burnt  several  vessels  and  houses  at  the  landiuir.  then 
wampered  off  precipitately  to  their  vessels.  Next  day  they  burnt  several  houses  at 
Khynebeck  Fiatts,  nnd  proceeded  as  far  as  Livingston's  manor,  where  they  burnt  a  few 
more ;  our  troops  are  now  up  with  them.  It  is  hoped  they  wUl  be  able  to  put  a  stop  to 
tnese  depredations. '  r  f 

During  the  revolutionary  waf  a  number  of  royalists  were  executed 
in  this  town  for  treason.  Judge  Hasbrouck  of  Kingston,  who  was 
at  that  time  a  lad,  says  that  two  of  them  Were  executed  on  the  first 
hill  from  the  landing.  It  appears  that  these  unfortunate  men  expect- 
ed to  be  reprieved  ;  when  they  drew  near  the  gallows,  and  saw  the 
preparation  for  their  execution,  they  became  overwhelmed  with  a 
sense  of  their  awful  situation,  and  exclaimed,  "  0  Heer!  vergeeven 
onze  zonde;'  (0  Lord  !  foraive  our  sins.)  The  father  of  Judge  Has- 
brouck, one  of  the  principal  men  of  the  place,  although  a  firm  friend 
to  the  American  cause,  was  opposed  to  the  execution,  and  suffered 
much  anguish  of  mind  on  account  of  these  harsh  and  bloody  meas- 
ures. These  men,  although  tories,  were  persons  of  respectability, 
who  had  families.  Between  twenty  and  thirty  royalists  who  were 
taken  up,  enlisted  in  the  American  army,  and  thus  saved  their 
lives. 

Ulsterville,  (late  Saugerties,)  at  the  confluence  of  the  Esopus 
creek  with  the  Hudson,  100  miles  N.  of  New  York,  44  S.  from  Al- 
bany, and  10  from  Kingston.  "This  place,  now  one  of  the  most 
thriftv  on  the  river,  was  undistinguished  until  the  year  1826,  when 
Mr.  Henry  Barclay,  of  New  York,  duly  appreciating  the  value  of  the 
vvater-power,  became  the  purchaser  of  it  and  several  farms  in  the 
vicinity.  By  a  strong  dam  and  a  raceway,  cut  65  feet  perpendicularly 
through  the  rock,  there  has  been  obtained  the  use  of  the  water  under 
a  fall  of  47  feet,  which  may  be  applied  twice  in  its  descent.  The  en- 
terprising proprietor  established  a  large  paper  mill,  extensive  iron 
works,  and  erected  a  building  for  calico  printing,  since  converted  into  a 
paint  manufactory.  The  business  of  tne  county  now  centres  here  ; 
and  the  trade  employs  30  or  40  sloops  and  schooners,  of  from  80  to 
160  tons  burden.  In  1825,  there  was  not  a  single  church  here :  there 
are  now  five  neat  edifices  for  public  worship."  Five  miles  above 
Ulster  village,  upon  the  creek  at  Whittaker's  Falls,  there  is  a  very 
flourishing  manufacturing  village. 


M:: 


344 


WARREN   COUNTY. 


,J 


'*^inlr"*4^ 


WARREN  COUNTY. 


#, 


Warren  county  was  taken  from  the  NW.jpart  of  Washington  coun- 
ty in  1813.  It  is  principally  situated  on  the  W.  side  of  Lake  George, 
centrally  distant  trom  New  York  240,  and  from  Albany  75  miles. 
Greatest  length  N.  and  S.  44,  greatest  breadth  E.  and  W.  40  miles. 
With  the  exception  of  a  small  district  on  the  SE.,  the  whole  county  is 
mountainous.  The  mountains,  which  are  of  primitive  formation,  are 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  trees,  and  contain,  it  is  said,  abundanto 
of  iron  ore  of  good  quality,  but  have  very  small  portions  of  arable  soil. 
The  valleys,  which  are  narrow,  contain  some  fertile  alluvion,  on 
secondary  limestone.  The  principal  employment  of  the  inhabitants  is 
getting  lumber,  which  is  sent  to  market  by  the  rivers,  Itdie,  and  Cham- 
plain  canal.  This  county  embraces  about  one  half  of  the  Horicon,  or 
Lalte  George,  the  creater  part  of  Schroon  lake,  the  whole  of  Brant 
lake,  and  many  smaller  ones.  The  Horicon  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  33  miles  long,  and  about  2  wide,  and  discharges  its  waters 
northward  into  Lake  Champlain  at  Ticonderoga.  Its  waters  are  very 
deep  and  clear,  and  abound  with  the  finest  fish.  The  mountain  sce- 
nery of  this  lake  is  excelled  in  its  romantic  beauties  by  none  in  the 
World.  Schroon  and  Brant  lakes  are  beautiful  sheets  of  water,  and 
abound  with  fish  similar  to  Lake  George.  The  county  is  divided  into 
10  towns,  viz. : 

Athol,  Chester,  Johnsburg,  Warrensburg. 

Bolton,  Hague,  Luzerne, 

Caldwell,        Horicon,  Queensbury, 

Caldwell,  the  shire  town  of  Warren  county,  was  organized  in 
1810,  and  named  in  honor  of  James  Caldwell,  Esq.,  a  principal  pro- 
prietor and  benefactor.  It  has  a  mountainous  surface,  and  embraces 
the  south  end  of  Lake  George.  Caldwell  village  lies  at  the  head  of 
Lake  George,  62  miles  from  Albany,  9  from  Glenn's  Falls,  and 
27  from  Sa-'itoga  springs.  The  village  consists  of  about  50  dwell- 
ings. 

I  *?**  To""?  '?  thM  vicinity  is  of  a  wild  and  picturesque  character,  similar  to  the  High- 
lands  of  ScoUand.  Westward  rises  a  range  of  mountains,  the  hiriiest  of  which  is  Pros- 
pect  or  lUtUeanake  Hill,  which  is  an  elevation  of  about  1,500  feet  Remains  of  Forts 
William  Henry  and  George  are  stiU  to  be  seen  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  a  short  distance 
east  of  the  courthouse. 

This  village  and  the  lake  have  become  quite  a  fashionable  place  of  resort  during  the  warm 
season  of  Uie  year.  Besides  the  attraoUons  of  the  natural  scenenr,  it  is  rendered  interesting 
from  havmg  been  the  theatre  of  important  mUitary  operations.  ITie  celebrated  «  Battle  </ 
Lake  George,  on  Sept  8th,  1755,  was  fought  in  the  vicinity  of  Bfoody  Pond,  so  called 
ftom  the  fact  that  corpses  of  the  slain  were  thrown  into  it    The  battle  was  between  tlie 

provincial  troops  under  Maior-treneral.  aftarwud  Sir  William  Jnhnao"  si^t^  < >—'-  -' 

Indians  under  Hendrick  the  Mohawk  chieftain,  and  a  body  of  Trenoh  CanadianB  and  In*- 


WABRCN   COUNTV.       % 


# 


345 


n3''t/°"?™«'  '°"'."°'  "f  *«  "O""'"'  "■«'  ensued.  ■»  Riven  tv  Dr 

3  parties.    Hendrick  3k  ^  «rilk!T„;      .  "'  ^"^""  """".  P«>P<»ed  to  divide  them  intc 

toge.l.er;andyouca„rbreak   h^^  T'^'''  ""i^  '^  *'™'"P»'  ^'^ 

eiwily."    The  hint  succeeded  and  WpL^  i,    T  ?"*  ''''?"1'  *"'*  y""  ^"^  break  them 
whole  army,  from  desSon^*         "'"**"''''  "'•^'"  '^'^'^  *^«  P"«J^'  '"'»  P'°«>''Wy  the- 

a  bTaveCskiflr'''^^?^  l'^,"**'  "."•*  ^"«  commanded  by  Qol.  Ephraim  William. 

tt'tead^blJt^^^^^^ 

had  Sched  •  no;  a«  a  „,J,^^    °"»*^"*  ""'  ''^?\*?  "^'«  ^^  breastwork  until  after  Williams 

nl.Sr'.f  T^'^^J*"  T"  ^^^"'^y  ^'°  t»>«  hollow  Of  the  h«lS;.    This  will  be  ex. 

.!r«  only    ^^:        horns  of  the  half-moon  were  so  far  advanced,  that  they  in  a  meat  aeaL 

HendrS  1  -^  7?^"^  *"  5"4'?'V  """^  ^'"^  "P""  *em  from  the  rei     Frfm  uS£ 
Hendnck  received  the  wound  wWch  terminated  his  life. 

detachmJSt  He  waf  an  S"'*""?'  ^'"'-  ^''^-  ^•'''L"*  ™*"'««''«'J '»  *e  command  of  the 
j„„,P„  ""*"*:    V?  ^»?  ""  officer  of  great  merit,  and  had  gained  much  apnlause  at  tha  m! 

Sn  caoZln  t '  ""'^•i'"  consequence  of  his  gallan*  conduTat  thaftge,  had  been 
f^J-  f?     J  '"  j'*'^  '*«^"  ^""«h  ««"^ce.    Wbiting,  seeing  the  danger  of  his  Zn 

trl;&r'„-it  Sthtenely^^  «--^'  threateneAire^,SS^SornV£ 
earnest  bv'th—^JV  ^11  ^  heard  at  Lake  George.  Efforts  began  then  to  be  made  in 
Tder  LUut  Col  r  J/r  '  *''^"r  *'^  *'  "!""P  =  ""''  ■*  P"'^  °f  300  ""C"  *««  despatche" 
Indians  caLin'tnJ!'  "''''°!?  *^^  '^'^eat^ng  corps.  A  few  stragglen.,  both  English  and 
eWdrVZ^thTa„S«T''*''"*'r"r°ll°*=''*'**'»'  *"«*  '"''««'l  been  abeady  si^cienX 
rumbe™  and  strenX'o  r!!f  w"!!**  °^*'  "^'^^''P''  *^'"  '»'«  ^'^"''h  army  w^  superior i 
Some  t^e  after '"S  ^h  ?  W. U.ams'  corps,  and  was  driving  them  towards  thrcamp. 
Km-»1^L  „  yn  ^u"''',  ^'"  cfcaped."  says  Gen.  Johnson,  "came  in  in  larw 

dutrd\hi^err  These  JJnaf'''  '""^  T'i:'*'  ^*  y^'^^'^''  LieulCol.  WhitiiX 

a  r«Vl  .  •  P  r"  °^.^"'^  """'e  than  150  yards  from  the  breastwork.  I  have  never  seen 
a  reason  assigned  for  this  measure.  I  think  T  o«n  ...j^s,  ^-„  mi,:  t--.:- "  _®  "®'^*'  """^ 
on  Ute  riirht  flank    an.4  .  „..,  „f  .u    r-  — J T  °  .   -  "'      '■  "^  i"ustt"=  wcrs  sent  OUI 

uw  ngnt  nank,  and  a  part  of  the  Can^rf^i^-^s  on  the  left,  mtending  to  come  in  upon  th« 

44 


.* 


346 


WARBEN   COUNTY. 


ife 


'k 


rear  of  the  English,  while  -iho  main  body  attacked  them  in  front  The  ground  was  nmark. 
ably  favorable  to  this  design ;  being  swampy,  thickly  forested,  and,  therefore,  perfectly  fitted 
to  conceal  the  approach  of  these  parties.  The  Indians,  however,  were  soon  discovered  by 
Lieut.  Col.  Pomeroy,  who  immediately  mentioned  the  fact  to  the  general  5  and,  observing 
to  him,  tibat  these  people  were  extremely  afraid  of  cannon,  requested  that  one  or  two  piecea 
might  be  pointed  against  them.  They  were  then  near  the  ground  on  which  Fort  William 
Henry  was  afterward  built.  The  general  approved  of  the  proposal.  A  shell  was  instantly 
thrown  among  them  from  a  howitzer,  and  some  field-pieces  showered  upon  them  a  quanOty 
of  grape^hot.    The  Indians  fled. 

The  baron,  in  the  mean  time,  led  up  his  main  body  to  attack  the  centre.  1  hey  began 
the  engagement  by  firing  regularly  in  platoons ;  but  at  so  great  a  distance,  that  they  did 
very  little  execution.  This  circumstance  was  favorable  to  the  English  j  and  soon  recover, 
ing  from  the  panic  into  which  (hey  had  been  thrown  by  the  preceding  events  of  the  day, 
they  fought  with  great  spirit  and  firmness.  .  .    i-     u-  u 

Gen.  Johnson,  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  received  a  flesh  wound  in  his.  thigh, 
and  the  ball  lodged  in  it.  He  bled  freely,  but  was  able  to  walk  away  from  the  army  to  his 
tent.  Gen.  Lyman  then  took  the  command,  and  continued  in  it  during  the  action.  This 
gentleman,  who  seemed  to  have  no  passions,  except  those  which  are  involved  in  the  word 
•  humanity,  immediately  stationed  himself  in  the  front  of  the  breastwork;  and  there,  atnid 
the  thickest  danger,  issued  his  orders,  during  5  hours,  to  every  part  of  the  army,  as  occasion 
demanded,  with  a  serenity  which  many  covet,  and  some  boast,  but  very  few  acquire.  The 
main  body  of  the  French  kept  their  ground,  and  preserved  their  order,  for  a  considerable 
time ;  but  the  artillery,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Eyre,  a  brave  English  officer,  who 
performed  his  part  with  much  skill  and  reputation,  played  upon  them  with  such  success, 
and  the  fire  from  the  masketry  was  so  warm  and  well-directed,  that  their  ranks  were  soon 
thinned,  and  their  efforts  slackened  sufficiently  to  show  that  they  despaired  of  success  in 
this  quarter.  They  then  made  another  effort  against  the  right  of  the  English,  stationed 
between  the  road  and  the  site  of  Fort  William  Henry,  and  composed  of  Ruggles'  regiment, 
Williams',  now  commanded  by  Lieut.  Col.  Pomeroy,  and  Titcomb's.  Here  a  warm  fire 
was  kept  up  on  both  sides  ab  iit  an  hour;  but  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  was  unavailing. 

At  4  o'clock,  the  English,  and  the  Indians  who  fought  with  them,  leaped  over  their 
breastwork,  and  charged  the  enemy.  They  fled,  and  were  vigorously  pursued  for  a  short 
Mstance.  A  considerable  number  were  slain  in  the  pursuit.  The  wounded,  and  a  very 
^BW  others,  were  made  prisoners.  Among  these  was  Dieskau.  He  was  found  by  a  soldier, 
resting  on  a  stump,  with  hardly  an  attendant.  As  he  was  feeling  for  his  watch,  in  order  to 
give  it  to  the  soldier,  the  man,  suspecting  that  he  was  searching  for  a  pistol,  discharged  the 
coptents  of  his  musket  through  his  hips.  He  was  carried  into  the  camp  in  a  blanket  by  9 
men,  with  the  greatest  care  and  tenderness,  but  evidently  in  extreme  distress. 

Hendrick  had  lived  to  this  day  with  singular  honor,  and  died  fighting  with  a  apirit  not 
to  be  excelled.  He  was  at  this  time  from  60  to  65  years  of  age.  His  head  was  covered 
with  white  locks :  and  what  is  uncommon  among  Indians,  he  was  corpulent.  Immediately 
before  Col.  Williams  began  his  march,  he  mounted  a  stage,  and  harangued  his  people.  He 
hid  a  strong  masculine  voice ;  and,  it  was  thought,  might  be  distinctly  heard  at  the  distance 
of  half  a  mile ;  a  fact  which,  to  my  own  view,  has  diffused  a  new  degree  of  probability  over 
Homer's  representations  of  the  effects  produced  by  the  speeches  and  shouts  of  his  heroes. 
Lieut.  Col.  Pomeroy,  who  was  present,  and  heard  this  effusion  of  Indian  eloquence,  told 
me,  that,  although  he  did  not  understand  a  word  of  the  language,  yet  such  was  the  anima. 
tion  of  Hendrick,  the  fire  of  his  eye,  the  force  of  his  gesture,  the  strength  of  his  emphasis, 
the  apparent  propriety  of  the  inflections  of  his  voice,  and  the  natural  appearance  of  his 
whole  manner,  that  himself  was  more  deeply  affected  with  this  speech,  than  with  any  other 
which  he  had  ever  heard.  In  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  Sept.  25,  1755,  he  is  styled  "  the 
fiimous  Hendrick,  a  renowned  Indian  warrior  among  the  Mohawks ;"  and  it  is  said  that 
his  son,  being  told  that  his  father  was  killed,  giving  the  usual  Indian  groan  upon  such 
occasions,  and  suddenly  putting  his  hand  on  his  left  breast,  swore,  that  his  father  was  still 
alive  in  that  place,  and  that  there  stood  his  son.  Baron  Dieskau  was  conveyed  fi-om  Al 
bany  to  New  York,  and  fi-om  thence  to  England ;  where  soon  after  he  died. 

The  capture  of  Fort  William  Henry,  at  this  place,  Aug.  9th,  1757. 
and  the  massacre  by  the  Indians,  created  a  great  sensation  in  all  the 
northern  states.  The  following  account  of  the  capture  of  the  fort, 
is  extracted  from  Professor  Silliman's  Tour. 

The  Marquis  de  Montcalm,  after  three  ineffpcntnl  stteirspts  upon  Fort  William  Henry, 
made  great  efforts  to  besiege  it  in  form,  and  in  August,  1757,  having  landed  ten  thousand 


•■Mf 


WAERIN  COUNTY. 


347 


men  near  the  fort,  lummoned  it  to  mrrender.  The  place  of  hbltndingf  wu  shown  m;  a 
little  north  of  the  public  house  ;  the  remains  of  his  batteries  and  other  works  are  still  visi- 
ble ;  and  the  graves  and  bones  of  the  slain  are  occasionally  discovered. 

He  hod  a  powerful  train  of  artillery,  and  althougfi  the  fort  and  works  wen  mnboned 
by  three  thousand  men,  and  were  most  gallantly  defended  by  the  commander,  C^  Mon- 
roe, it  was  obliged  to  capitulate  ;  but  the  most  honorable  temis  were  granted  to  Colonel 
Monroe,  in  consideration  of  his  great  gallantry.  The  bursting  of  the  great  guns,  the 
want  of  ammunition,  and  above  all,  the  failure  of  Gen.  Webb  to  succor  the  forft,  although 
he  lay  idle  at  Fort  Edward  with  four  thousand  men,  were  the  causes  of  this  oatastrcphe. 

The  capitulation  was,  however,  most  shamefully  broken  ;  the  Indians  attached  to  Mont- 
calm's army,  while  the  troops  were  marching  out  of  the  gate  of  the  fort,  dragged  the  men 
from  the  ranks,  particularly  the  Indians  in  the  English  service,  and  butchere*!  them  in 
cold  blood  ;  they  plundered  all  without  distinction,  and  murdered  women  and  little  chil- 
dren, with  circumstances  of  the  most  aggravated  barbarity.  The  massacre  continued  all 
along  the  road,  through  the  defile  of  the  mountains,  and  for  many  miles  the  miserable 
prisoners,  especially  those  in  the  rear,  were  tomahawked  and  hewn  down  in  cold  blood  ; 
it  might  well  be  called  the  bloodi/  defile,  for  it  was  the  same  ground  that  was  the  scene 
of  the  battles,  only  two  years  before,  in  1755.  It  is  said  that  efforts  were  made  by  the 
French  to  restrain  the  barbarians,  but  they  were  not  restrained,  and  the  miserable  rem- 
nant of  the  garrison  with  difficulty  reached  Fort  Edward  pursued  by  the  Indians,  although 
escorted  by  a  body  of  French  troops.  I  passed  over  the  whole  of  the  ground  upon  which 
this  tragedy  was  acted,  and  the  oldest  men  of  the  country  still  remember  this  deed  of 
guilt  and  infamy. 

Fort  Willian™  Henry  was  levelled  by  Montcalm,  and  has  never  been  rebuilt  Fort 
George  was  built  as  a  substitute  for  it,  on  a  more  commanding  site,  and  although  often 
mentioned  in  the  history  of  subsequent  wars,  was  not,  I  believe,  the  scene  of  any  very 
memorable  event. 


Distant  view  of  the  village  of  GlenrCs  Falls. 

The  village  of  Glenn's  Falls  lies  on  the  N.  bank  of  the  Hudson,  53 
miles  from  Albany,  3  W,  from  Saady  Hill,  and  17  from  Saratoga.  It 
received  its  name  from  a  Mr.  T-l^  .in.  the  first  settler,  whose  house  is 
still  standing  about  20  rods  froi;       .*  falls. 

The  above  is  a  SE.  view  of  the  village  as  seen  from  the  S.  bank 
of  the  Hudson.  There  are  here  about  120  dwellings,  1  Presby- 
terian, 1  Methodist,  and  1  Baptist  church,  a  female  eminary,  a 
r^rintin"  office  and  about  a  dozen  mills  on  both  sides  of  the  river 
for  sawing  lumber  and  marble.     The  Presbyterian  and  Methodist 


^ 


348 


WASHINGTON   COUNTY. 


churches  and  the  acudemy  are  seen  on  the  right,  and  part  of  the 
bridge  over  theHudson  at  the  falls,  on  the  left. 

These  falls  have  a  total  descent  of  about  70  feet.  The  water  flows 
in  0D»sheet  over  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  900  feet  in  length,  and 
■when  in  full  flood,  rushes  in  one  mass  down  the  cataract,  filling  the 
mind  of  a  Sjjectator  on  the  bridge  with  awe  and  admiration.  In  ordi- 
nary seasons  the  river  is  divided  at  the  falls  by  rocks  into  three  chan- 
nels, which  have  an  angular  descent  of  several  hundred  feet.  These 
falls  have  evidently  receded  from  a  position  lower  down  the  stream. 
The  banks  below  are  in  some  places  70  feet  in  perpendicular 
height,  formed  of  rocks,  in  which  the  stratification  is  beautifully  dis- 
posed, containing  many  organic  remains.  The  navigable  feeder  of  the 
Champlain  canal  is  taken  from  the  river,  two  miles  above,  and  passes 
along  the  elevated  bank  of  the  river  seen  in  the  engraving.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  as  many  as  eighteen  or  twenty  persons  have  been  drawn 
over  the  falls,  within  the  memory  of  those  now  living,  only  two  of 
whom  escaped  death.  Animals  are  frequently  drawn  over,  and  almost 
invariably  perish. 


1 1 


WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

^  Washington  cottnty  received  its  present  name  in  1784,  having 
pifeviously  been  called  Charlotte  county,  when  it  claimed  to  include  a 
part  of  the  present  state  of  Vermont.  Its  greatest  length  is  64  miles  ; 
average  breadth  to  South  Bay,  of  Lake  Champlain,  17  miles ;  and 
thence  on  the  N,  6  miles.  Centrally  distant  from  New  York  210,  from 
Albany  60  miles, 

T  ?^^^**^®  °^  ^^  country  is  very  much  div^ified.  That  around 
Lake  George  is  generally  rugged  and  mountainous,  presenting  sum- 
mito  from  600  to  1,800  feet  in  height  All  the  northern  part  is  broken 
and  hilly.  The  southern  part,  though  considerably  uneven,  presents 
a  very  large  proportion  of  arable  land,  well  adapted  for  the  various 
products  of  agriculture,  In  the  northern  part,  which  is  comparatively 
new,  the  j^ine  forests  supply  large  quantities  of  lumber.  The  county 
is  abundantly  watered.  As  a  whole,  it  holds  a  respectable  rank  in  ag- 
riculture, producing  much  wheat,  but  is  better  adapted  to  grass.  A 
lar^e  proportion  of  the  population  is  from  New  England,  and  large 
(anigratims  are  yearly  makmg  from  Vermont.  The  county  is  divided 
into  17  towns : 


Argyle, 
Cambridge, 
Dresden, 
Easton, 

Fort  Ann 


Fort  Edward, 
Granville,  _ 
Greenwich, 
Hampton, 

HnrtfnrH 


Hebron, 
Jackson, 
Kingsbury, 
Putnam, 


White  Creek, 
Whitehall. 


id  part  of  the 

le  water  flows 
in  length,  and 
ict,  filling  the 
ion.  In  ordi- 
to  three  chan- 
feet.  These 
D  the  stream, 
perpendicular 
Bautifiilly  dis- 
i  feeder  of  the 
^e,  and  passes 
inff.  It  is  be- 
)  been  drawn 
,  only  two  of 
er,  and  almost 


V. 


1784,  having 
d  to  include  a 
1  is  64  miles  ; 
7  miles ;  and 
ork  210,  from 

That  around 
isenting  sum- 
part  is  Droken 
sven,  presents 
r  the  various 
:omparatively 
The  county 
le  rank  in  ag- 
io grass.  A 
nd,  and  large 
nty  is  divided 

e  Creek, 
ehall. 


r 


ft 


f 


WASHINGTON    COUNTY. 


North  view  of  Salem  village. 

The  above  is  from  a  drawing  taken  Jnly  27th,  1840,  from  an  elevation  on  the  main 
road  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  village.  The  Preabyterian  Church  and  Court 
House  are  seen  on  the  left  of  the  engraving,  the  Congregational  Church  and  the  two 
Hotela  in  the  qeptral  part,  and  the  Academy  on  the  extreme  right. 


Southeastern  view  of  Union  Village. 

Engraved  from  a  drawing  taken  on  the  elevated  ground  by  the  school  house,  on  the 
Eaaton  aide  of  the  Battenkill,  July  29th,  1840.  The  Dutch  Reformed,  Baptist,  and 
Methodist  Churches  appear  in  the  view,  with  part  of  the  bridge  and  Congreffational 
Church.     Village  founded  1809. 


i 


WAaillN(!TON    UOUM'Y. 


Stuthmi  vine  of  tU  central  part  of  Sandy  Hill 


by  BuTgoyn«'8  amiv.  which  tnv  pncnmn^i  k. I,    .  -  ''"f '■'8  tl'*!  w"  'he  lown  was  hurot 

.h  Jilf  ^'^  ?1  '!l'''°'l  "?"'''  "■«  """e"  °f  Sandy  Hill,  was  formcrlv 
the  scene  of  Indian  barbarities.    The  following  anecdote  is  rS 

itT.t;rs=&'hH«-SSSS*lrS 


..''^^^ 


./ 


WARHrNQTON   COUNTT. 


040 


Whitbhall,  organijEed  in  178»,  has  a  great  divertity  of  Burface 
The  Boil  is  principally  a  ■tiff  clay,  well  adapted  to  grasi.    Pop.  4,784 


Northern  view  of  Whitehall. 

1840. 

The  above  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  the  village  of  White- 
hall as  seen  from  the  rocky  eminence  which  rises  perpendicularly 
from  the  waters  of  Lake  Champlain,  a  short  distance  to  the  north 
overlooking  the  harbor.  The  village  is  compactly  built,  and  lies  in  a 
rocky  ravine,  at  the  junction  of  Wood  creek  and  the  Champlain  cana 
with  the  waters  of  Lake  Champlain,  73  miles  from  Albany  and  31 
from  Sandy  HilL  The  mouth  of  the  creek  and  canal  are  seen  in  the 
central  part  of  the  engravina;.  The  waters  of  the  canal  descend  a 
distance  of  26  feet  by  three  locks.  There  is  a  steamboat  communi- 
cation with  this  place  and  St.  Johns  in  Canada,  150  miles  distMt 
The  steamboat  landing  is  seen  on  the  left  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  emi- 
nence about  200  feet  high ;  the  Presbyterian  and  Episcopal  churches 
are  on  the  right.  The  village,  which  is  a  place  of  extensive  business, 
consists  of  about  160  dwellings,  a  number  of  mills,  many  warehouses 
for  the  commission  and  forwarding  business,  a  number  of  churches, 
and  a  bank.  In  the  vicinity  are  the  decaying  hulks  of  the  British  ves- 
sels captured  by  Com.  McDonough  during  the  last  war  off  Plattsburg. 

The  Indifin  name  of  this  place  was  Kah.cho.quah.na,  "  the  place  where  dip-jUh."  It 
was  formerly  called  Skenetborough,  bo  named  from  Maj.  Skene,  a  royalist,  who  resided 
here  previous  to  the  revolution.  The  pass  at  this  place  was  seized  by  a  detachment  of  vol. 
unteers  from  Connecticut  in  May,  1775.  Mij.  Skene  and  his  family,  with  a  number  of 
soldiers  and  several  small  pieces  of  cannon,  were  taken.  When  Ticonderoga  was  aban. 
doned  on  the  approach  of  Burgoyne,  the  public  stores  were  embarked  on  board  of  300 
batteaux  and  sent  up  the  lake  to  Skenesborough  under  a  convoy  of  5  galleys.  They  were 
pursued  by  a  British  brigade  of  gun-boats  and  overtaken  at  Skenesborough.  Two  of  tha 
galleys  were  taken,  and  the  other  three  blown  up,  and  the  Americans  being  unable  to  make 
an  effectual  stand,  set  fire  to  the  works,  fort,  mills,  batteaux,  and  escaped  as  they  could  to 
Fort  Ann.  This  place  was  occupied  by  Buigoyae  as  his  head-quarters  for  a  considerable 
tiroe  while  his  troops  were  clearing  a  road  to  Ford  Edward.  On  the  heights  overlookii^ 
the  harbor  are  the  remaina  of  a  battery  and  blockhouse. 

/ 


SAO 


/ 


WAIIIINOTON    COVNTY. 


Salem  village,  the  half-ihire  village  of  Washington  county,  waa  in- 
cornorated  in  1803,  and  is  46  miles  from  Albany,  and  81  from  Sandy 
Hill.  It  consists  of  100  dwellings,  the  county  buildings,  8  churches, 
»nd  an  academy  of  high  repute. 

Salem  was  first  settled  about  the  year  1766,  by  two  companies  of 
emigrants,  one  from  Scotland  and  Ireland,  the  other  from  New  Eng- 
land. They  worshipped  together  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Clark,  an  Irish  preacher,  till  differences  arose  about  "  occa- 
sional comm  nion,"  and  about  "  receiving  the  covenant  of  the  three 
kingdoms."  This  controversy  occasioned  a  separation  in  1769.  A 
Presbyterian  church  was  formed,  and  the  Rev.  John  Warford,  the  first 
minister,  was  installed  in  1780.  He  labored  about  14  years,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Samuel  Tomb,  who  continued  in  the  ministry  till 
his  death  in  1838.  His  successors  have  been  Rev.  John  Whiton  and 
Rev.  A.  B.  Lambert.  The  first  Presbyterian  church  was  built  in 
1774,  and  for  three  years  it  was  used  for  barracks  and  a  storehouse. 
It  was  burnt  by  the  royalists  in  1778.  The  next  house  was  built  im- 
mediately after  the  war,  and  was  burnt  by  accident  in  1836.  The 
third,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  was  burnt  in  April,  1840  ;  another 
is  now  erected. 

Union  village,  on  the  Battenkill,  is  a  flourishing  manufacturing  place 
35  miles  from  Albany,  18  from  Salem,  and  5  E.  from  Schuylerville. 
It  contains  4  churches,  an  academy,  a  bank,  a  number  of  factories  and 
mills,  and  about  1,000  inhabitants.  Granville  Corners,  63  miles  from 
Albany  and  17  from  Salem,  is  a  compjict  settlement  of  about  75  dwell- 
ings, 3  churches,  an  academy,  a  factory,  &c.  Middle  and  West 
Granville  are  both  substantial  villages,  Sandy  Hill,  a  village  in  the 
town  of  Kingsbury,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Hudson,  is  the  half-shire 
village  of  the  county,  and  was  incorporated  in  1810.  It  is  situated 
upon  a  high  sandy  plain,  about  100  feet  above  the  river,  opposite  Ba- 
ker's Falls,  where,  in  the  course  of  60  rods,  the  river  descends  76  feet. 
The  contemplated  railroad  from  Saratoga  to  Whitehall  is  to  cross  the 
Hudson  here  by  a  viaduct  1,100  feet  m  length.  The  village  is  48 
miles  from  Albany,  and  contains  a  Presbyterian  and  Episcopal  church, 
and  upwards  of  100  dwelling-houses,  James  Bradshaw  was  the  first 
settler  in  the  village,  and  the  second  was  Albert  Baker,  wh'i  came  here 
in  1768.  His  family  was  the  11th  which  settled  in  Kin^.lur;/.  The 
first  minister  in  the  town  was  Francis  Baylor,  a  Morav' ,ii.  "  Ue  re- 
mained but  a  short  time,  and  left  in  the  year  1777.  The  ue^,.  ag- 
house  was  built  soon  after  the  revolution.  During  the  revolutionary 
war,  the  town  was  burnt  by  Burgoyne's  army. 

Two  miles  north  of  the  village  of  Kingsbury  is  the  spot  where  a 
bloody  battle  was  fought  in  the  French  war,  between  a  body  of  troops 
under  FutJ  am  and  Rogers,  and  500  French  and  Indians  commanded 
by  Molr'  ig.  X 

"In  t!'a  mo.' '.  of  August,  1758,  five  hundred  men  were  employed,  under  the  oiden  of 
Majors  Ri>t;en  aiid  Putnam,  to  watch  the  motiona  of  the  enemy  near  Ticondeioga.  At 
South  Bay  they  separated  the  party  into  two  equal  divisions,  and  Rogers  took  a  position 
oa  WooU  Ureek,  twelve  laiieH  dialuul  Groui  Fuiuain. 


\ 


WASHIMOTON    COUNTY.    .  Z$l 

K 
"Upon  being,  aoma  tim«  Kft«rwtrd,  diicovered.  thev  fntmfih  a  reunion.  mH  connnrtHiJ 
meuure*  for  returning  to  Kort  Hdwwd.    Their  mitreli  ihrbuKh  the  w'hkIb  waa  in  Ihrt*  HMtioiu, 

SiriLui  the  rtght  oonimuded  by  Kogrni,  the  l»-ll  by  Putnnm,  »n({  th«  crntrx  by  Captain 
'Ell.  The  flrat  night  they  encamped  on  the  bankn  of  t'ltat  Mhtr,  about  a  mile  fiom  old  Fort 
Ann,  which  had  been  formerly  built  by  Oemrrtj  Nicholaon.  Next  morning  Major  llogera, 
and  a  Dntiah  officer  nam.-d  Irwin,  incautiouijy  miflt-red  themaelvf*,  trom  a  npirit  of  falie  emu* 
lation,  to  be  ensagt^d  in  tiring  at  a  mark.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  repugnaiM  to  the 
military  principlea  of  I'utnum  than  mirh  conduct,  or  reprobated  by  him  in  more  pointed  leriM. 
Aa  aoon  aa  the  heavy  dew  which  had  lallen  the  preceding  niuht  would  permit,  lli«t  ijplachment 
moved  in  one  body,  I'utnam  being  in  front,  I  ''t-'ll  in  centre,  and  Hogeni  in  the  rear.  The  iiniier- 
vioua  growth  of  ahrtilm  and  under-brueh  that  had  Np|[ung  up,  where  the  iHnd  had  been  partially 
cleared  aome  yeara  before,  occaaioned  this  change  in  the  order  of  marrh.  At  the  moment  of 
moving,  the  fumoua  French  partiwin  Molnnn,  who  had  been  aent  with  Ave  hundred  men  to 
intercei).  our  party,  waa  not  more  than  one  mile  and  a  half  distant  from  them.  Ilaving 
heard  hr  irin,;,  he  hastened  to  lay  an  iinibuacade  prccim-ly  in  that  part  of  the  wood  moat  fa- 
V  )rahl « to  hia  ;iioject.  Major  Putnam  waa  juHt  emerging  from  the  thicket,  into  the  common 
ion  A,  wh"  I  'he  enemy  roae,  and  with  di«;ordunt  yella  nnd  whoope,  commenced  an  attack 

pon  .i  e  righi  of  hia  diviaion.  Hurpriaed,  but  undinniaycd,  Putnam  halted,  returned  iho  (ire, 
and  paaaed  the  word  for  the  other  divisiona  to  advance  lor  hia  aupport.  D'Ell  came.  Th« 
uctW  '  (hough  widely  acattered,  and  principally  fought  between  man  and  man,  aoon  grew 
ueneral  and  intensely  warm.  It  would  be  oa  ditllcult  aa  uaeleaa  to  describe  this  irregular  and 
ferociouB  mode  of  lighting.  Rogers  came  not  up ;  but,  aa  he  declared  afterward,  lormed  • 
circular  file  between  our  party  and  Wood  creek,  to  prevent  their  being  taken  in  rear  or  end- 
|aded.  Succewful  n»  he  commonly  was,  hia  conduct  did  not  alwaya  pasa  without  unfuvorabla 
imputation.  NotwiihHtanding,  it  waa  a  current  aaying  in  the  camp, '  that  Kogen  alwaya  lent, 
but  Putnam  ltd  liia  men  to  action,'  yet,  in  justice,  it  ought  to  be  remarked  here,  that  the  latter 
has  never  been  known,  in  relating  the  story  of  this  day'a  disaster,  to  altlx  any  stigma  upon  the 
conduct  of  the  former. 

"  Major  Putnam,  perceiving  it  would  be  impracticable  to  cross  the  creek,  determined  to 
maintain  his  ground.  Inspired  by  his  example,  the  olflcera  and  men  behaved  with  great  bra- 
very I  Bometimea  they  fought  aggregately  m  open  view,  and  sometimes  individually  under 
cover  ;  taking  aim  from  behind  the  bodies  of  trees,  and  acting  in  a  manner  independent  of 
each  other.  Tor  himself,  having  dim-harced  his  fuzee  several  times,  at  length  it  missed  fire 
while  the  muzzle  waa  pressed  against  the  breast  of  a  larse  and  well  proportioned  aavage 
This  warrior,  availing  himself  of  tne  indefensible  attitude  oThis  adversary,  with  a  tremendous 
war-whoop,  sprang  Ibrward.  with  hia  lifted  hatchet,  and  compelled  him  to  surrender  j  and 
having  disarmed  and  bound  nim  fast  to  a  tree,  returned  to  the  battle. 

"  Irie  intrepid  (Captains  D'Ell  and  Harman,  who  now  commanded,  were  forced  to  give 
ground  for  a  little  distance :  the  savauea  conceiving  this  to  be  the  certain  harbinger  of  victory, 
rushed  impetuously  on,  with  dreadful  and  redoubled  cries.  But  our  two  partisans,  collecting 
a  handful  of  brave  men,  gave  the  pursuers  so  warm  a  reception  as  to  oblige  them,  in  turn,  to 
retreat  a  little  beyond  the  spot  at  which  the  action  had  commenced.  Here  they  made  a  stand. 
This  change  of  ground  occasioned  the  tree  to  which  Putnam  was  tied  to  be  directly  between 
the  fire  of  the  two  parties.  Human  imagination  can  hardly  figure  to  itself  a  more  deplorable 
situation.  The  bulls  dew  incessantly  from  either  side,  many  struck  the  tree,  while  some  passed 
through  the  sleeves  and  skirts  of  his  coat.  In  this  state  of  jeopardy,  unable  to  move  hia  body, 
to  stir  his  limbs,  or  even  to  incline  hia  head,  he  remained  more  than  an  hour  So  eqaally 
balanced,  and  so  obstinate  was  the  fight !  At  one  moment,  while  the  battle  swerved  in  favor 
of  the  enemy,  a  young  savage  chose  an  odd  way  of  discoverine  his  humor.  He  found  Putnam 
bound.  He  might  have  despatched  him  at  a  blow.  But  he  loved  better  to  excite  the  terrors 
of  the  prisoner,  Dy  hurling  a  tomahawk  at  his  head,  or  rather  it  should  seem  his  object  was  to 
see  how  near  he  could  throw  it  without  touching  him — the  weapon  struck  in  the  tree  a  nuir- 
ber  of  times  at  a  hair's  breadth  distance  from  the  mark.  When  the  Indian  had  finished  hia 
amusement,  a  French  baa-oliicer  (a  much  more  inveterate  savage  by  nature,  though  descended 
fVom  so  humane  and  polished  a  nation)  perceiving  Putnam,  came  up  to  him,  and,  levelling  a 
fuzee  within  a  foot  of  hia  breast,  attempted  to  discharge  it — it  missed  fire.  Inetfectually  did 
the  intended  victim  solicit  the  treatment  due  to  his  situation,  by  repeating  that  he  was  a  pri- 
soner of  war.  The  degenerate  Frenchman  did  not  understand  the  language  of  honor  or  of 
nature:  deaf  to  their  voice,  and  dead_  to  sensibility,  he  violently,  and  repeatedly,  pushed  the 
muzzle  of  his  gun  against  Putnam's  ribe,  and  finally  gave  him  a  cruel  blow  on  the  jaw  with 
the  butt-rnd  of  his  piece.    Ailer  this  dastardly  deed  he  left  him. 

"  At  length  the  activr,  intrepidity  of  D'Ell  and  Harman,  seconded  by  the  persevering  valor 
of  their  followers,  prevailed.  They  drove  fi-om  the  field  the  enemy,  who  leil  about  ninety 
dead  behind  them.  As  they  were  retirins.  Putiuun  was  untied  by  the  Indian  who  had  made 
him  prisoner,  and  whom  he  afterward  called  master.  Having  been  conducted  for  some  dia. 
tance  from  the  place  of  action,  he  was  stripped  of  his  coat,  vest,  stockings,  and  shoes;  loaded 
with  as  many  of  the  pucks  of  the  wounded  aa  could  be  piled  upon  him;  strongly  pmioned, 
and  hia  wrists  tied  as  closely  together  aa  they  could  be  pulled  with  a  cord.  After  he  had 
marched,  through  no  pleasant  paths,  in  this  painful  manner,  for  many  a  tedious  mile,  the  party 
(who  were  excessively  fatigued)  halted  to  breathe.  His  hands  were  now  immoderately 
swelled  from  the  tightness  of  the  ligature;  and  the  pain  had  become  intolerable.  His  feet 
were  so  much  scratched,  that  the  blood  dropped  fast  from  them.  Exhausted  with  bearing  a 
burden  above  his  strength,  and  frantic  with  torments  exquisite  beyond  endurance,  he  entreated 
iaa  Ziish  incerpretet  to  impioie,  as  the  iaei  mid  only  grace  he  desired  of  the  gavages,  that  thny 


/ 


352 


WASHINGTON   COUNTY. 


vreuld  knock  him  on  the  head,  and  take  hiu  scalp  at  once,  or  loose  his  hands.    A  French 

?^.   •  "!«an"y''«f.>'P«i»n«.  ordered  hw  hands  to  be  unbound,  and  some  of  the  packs  to  be 

laKen  otf.    By  this  tune  the  Indian  who  captured  him,  and  had  been  absent  with  the  wound- 

„  'Ji?™."**  "P*  ^'l?  "'?"  *  P*"" "'"  moccasina,  and  expreseed  great  indianation  at  the  un- 
worthy treatment  his  prisoner  had  suffered.  "iunjuauuu  bi  lae  un- 

K.,L.b*'*'"^V'''*'^"Kain  returned  to  the  care  of  the  wounded,  and  the  Indians,  about  two 
-wlk. .  '"  number,  went  before  the  rest  of  the  party  to  the  place  where  the  whol4  were  that 
«  S?.„f/!?K*'"l?\i  .u'''L'°^'^  ^'"^  '^^i?*  Major  Putnam,  on  whom,  besides  innumerable  other 
outrages,  they  had  the  barbarity  to  inflict  a  deep  wound  with  the  tomahawk  in  the  left  cheek 
His  suffe'ings  were  in  fhis  place  to  be  consummated.  A  scene  of  horror,  infinitely  greater 
For  .hUn?,^,n!JI'';h  ■•'Xlf  ''^•°''^'  ^^^  ET  P«Pa".nK-  It  wasdetermined  to  roast  him  alive, 
oni  L-  !J5  ^T  ^^^^  Ifdhim  into  a  dark  forest,  stnoped  him  naked,  bound  him  to  a  tree, 
and  piled  dry  brush,  with  other  fuel,  at  a  small  distance,  in  a  circle  round  him.  They  ac- 
companied their  labors,  as  if  for  his  funeral  dirge,  with  screams  and  sounds  inimitable  bit  by 
wyage  voices.  They  then  set  the  piles  on  fire.  A  sudden  shower  damped  the  rising  flame. 
Sti  1  they  strove  to  kindle  it  until,  at  last,  the  blaze  ran  fiercely  round  the  circle.  Major 
Putnam  soon  began  to  feel  the  scorching  heat.  His  hands  were  so  tied  that  he  cor.ld  move 
»hi^h  ''ii  k"^  """"  **""''*^  ?."*55  **  'i!^  P'f  aPP'o«ched.  Thir  sight,  at  the  very  idea  of 
r«  whn  WplonT^f  !iT'"/']"  ■ ''"•  ^e'^'^  ^^t  *''e*"^"  diyemon  to  his  inhuman  torment- 
ore,  who  demonstrated  the  delirium  of  their  joy  by  correspondent  yells,  dances,  and  eesticu- 

itsnZi«„"LH*"'  ''""'y.  l^"'  ^""^ ^""1  '^°"'  ^-^  inevita'bly  come'    lie  summoned^a    hb 
resolution,  and  composed  his  mind,  as  far  as  the  circumstances  could  admit,  to  bid  an  eter! 

n»ia"hTf '".?"  ^I  ^^H  r''  ^i"-  r'r°u1"''  '•»«  ^^"^'d  *°»'d  «'"«Jy  have  cost  Isingle 
^%2^l; ''"'.  '^'  '^*  "^^rV*^  '•'"?*'  ^"'  '^»':  *e  remembrance  of  domestic  endearments,  of  tlie 
affectionate  partner  of  his  soul,  and  of  their  beloved  offspring.  His  thought  was  uU  n?ately 
fixed  on  a  happier  state  of  existence,  beyond  the  tortures  he  was  beginning  to  endure.  The 
bitterness  ot  death,  even  of  that  death  wliich  is  accompanied  with  tffe  keenest  agonies,  was 
i!;n*„i!l*"!l'^'"'  P^^'-na'uif .  with  a  feeble  struggle,  was  quitting  its  last  hold  on  sublunary 
things-whenaFrenchoflicer  rushed  through  tiie  crowd*,  opened  a  way  by  scattering  the 
burning  brands,  and  unbound  the  victim.  It  was  Molang  himself-to  whom  a  savagi,  un- 
willing to  see  another  human  sacrifice  immolated,  had  run  and  communicated  the  tidings. 
d„^=''°"iT?r  u '  spurned  and  severely  reprimanded  the  barbarians,  whose  nocturnal  pow- 
wows  and  hellish  orgies  he  suddenly  ended.  Putnam  did  not  want  for  feeling  or  gratitude 
liilt  Ki^"-^  commander  fearing  to  trust  him  aloae  with  them,  remained  until  he  could  de- 
liver film  in  safety  into  the  hands  of  his  master. 

fJ^^^'^  savage  approached  his  prisoner  kindly,  and  seemed  to  treat  him  with  particular  af- 
fection Heofleredhim  some  hard  biscuit;  but  finding  that  he  could  not  chew  them,  on 
!n^°""r?l'^if-  ^'°*>*  '"*''  '•'*"=r''  '■"■"i^  'he  Frenchman,  this  more  humane  savage  waked 
some  of  the  biscuit  m  water,  and  made  him  suck  the  pulp-like  part.  Determined.Tiowever 
«^H  H  A^h^^  fP""''  ^^l"^  refreshment  being  finishet/^)  fie  took  the  moccasins  from  his  feet 
and  tied  them  to  one  of  his  wrists :  then  directing  him  to  lie  down  on  his  back  upon  the  bare 
ground,  he  stretched  one  arm.to  its  full  length,  and  bound  it  fast  to  a  young  tree  ;  the  other 
arm  was  extended  and  bound  in  the  same  manner-his  legs  were  stretched  apart  and  fastened 
I'Jh  ^^w"''"^*  l^T  *  number  of  tall,  but  slender  poles  were  cut  down.  Which,  with  some 
long  bushes,  were  laid  across  his  body  from  head  to  fSot ;  on  each  side  lay  as  miny  IndZs 
as  could  conveniently  find  lodging,  m  order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  his  escape'  In  this 
disagreeable  and  painful  posture  he  remained  until  morning.  During  this  night,  the  loosest 
and  most  dreary  conceivable,  our  hero  used  to  relate  that  he  felt  a  ray  of  cheerfulness  come 
casually  across  his  mmd,  and  could  not  even  refrain  from  smiling  when  he  reflected  on  this 
ludicrous  group  (or  a  painter,  of  which  he  himself  was  the  principal  figure. 

The  next  day  he  was  allowed  his  blanket  and  moccasins,  and  permitted  to  march  with- 
out carrying  any  pack,  or  receiving  any  msult.  To  allay  his  extreme  hunger,  a  little  bear's 
meat  was  given,  which  he  suckecT through  his  teeth.  At  night  the  party  arrived  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  and  the  prisoner  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a  French  guard.  The  savages,  who 
had  Been  prevented  from  glutting  their  diabolical  thirst  for  blood,  took  other  opportunity  of 
manifesting  their  malevolence  for  the  disappointment,  by  horrid  grimaces  and  angry  ces- 
tures;  but  they  were  suffered  no  more  to  offer  violence  or  personal  indignity  to  him 
A  ,    m'  having  been  examined  by  the  Marquis  de  Montculm,  Major  Putnam  was  conduct- 

The  Village  of  Fort  Ann,  on  Wood  creek  md  the  canal,  58  miles 
from  Albany,  and  10  S.  from  Whitehall,  contains  about  50  dwellings, 
and  3  churches.  It  is  situated  on  the  site  of  old  Fort  Ann,  erected  in 
1757,  and  was  a  place  of  some  importance  during  the  colonial  wars. 
About  two  miles  south  of  the  village,  vestiges  of  Burgoyne's  road, 
constructed  of  logs,  &c.,  in  1777,  are  still  to  be  seen. 

Fort  Edward  is  a  small  village,  situated  on  the  Hudson  river  and 
Champlain  canal,  47  miles  from  Albany,  and  about  3  from  Sandy  Kill. 


inds.  A  FVench 
the  packa  to  bo 
K'ith  the  wound- 
ition  at  the  un- 

iians,  about  two 
nrhole  were  that 
numerable  other 
n  the  lefl  cheek, 
nfinitely  greater 
roast  him  alive. 
I  him  to  a  tree, 
him.  They  ac- 
kimitable  but  by 
he  rising  flame, 
circle.  Major 
he  co'.'.ld  move 
lie  very  idea  of 
luman  torment- 
ee,  and  gesticu- 
nmoned  all  his 
,  to  bid  an  eter- 
ve  cost  a  single 
arments,  oC  the 
was  ultimately 
)  endure.  The 
It  agonies,  was, 
Id  on  sublunary 
'  scattering  the 
i  a  savage,  un- 
ted  the  tidings, 
nocturnal  pow- 
ig  or  gratitude, 
iihe  could  de- 

:h  particular  af- 
chew  them,  on 
savaee  soaked 
ined,  nowever, 
IS  from  his  feet, 
i  upon  the  bare 
tree ;  the  other 
irtand  fastened 
ich,  with  some 
many  Indians 
scape.  In  this 
iht,  the  longest 
erfulness  come 
fleeted  on  this 

to  march  with- 
r,  a  little  bear's 
rived  at  Ticon- 
!  savages,  who 
opportunity  of 
iaa  angry  ges- 
to  him. 

1  was  conduct- 
geuce  and  hu- 


ll, 58  miles 
dwellings, 
,  erected  in 
onial  wars. 
jTne's  road, 

1  river  and 
)andy  Hill. 


MUlipiOR  OF  MISS  MoCKEA. 

In  1777,  (luring  tlio  Exi)odition  of  Gen.  Durgoyno,  two  Indian  Chiefs  were 
employed  to  brini^  Mm  MeOrca  to  a  place  of  Hnfcty  within  tlie  Britisli, 
lines.  QtinrrelhiK  nbout  the  rewiird,  uiiu  of  them  killed  hvi;,  tQrq  off  her, 
scalp  niul  curried  it  to  her  lovttr. 


WASHINGTON   COUNTY. 


868  ^ 


There  is  a  dam  above  the  village  900  feet  long  and  27  high,  which 
supplies  a  feeder  to  the  canal. 


"■**'«w.w*iF' 


The  Jane  B/TCrea  tree,  Fort  Edward. 

The  village  of  Fort  Edward  is  rendered  memorable  as  being  the  ipot  where  Misa  M'Cres 
met  with  her  tragical  fate.  This  unfortunate  young  woman  lived  about  four  miles  aouth 
from  Fort  Edward,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson.  Her  lover,  a  Mr.  Jones,  lived  about 
a  niile  south  of  the  fort.  When  Burgoyne  with  his  army  from  Canada  had  arrived  in  this 
yicinily,  Mr.  Jones  left  the  American  army,  and  with  many  of  his  neighbors  joined  the 
forces  under  Burgoyne.  For  his  loyalty  he  was  made  a  major.  As  the  place  where  Miss 
M'Crea  resided  was  exposed  to  the  hostile  incursions  of  both  armies,  Mr.  Jones,  being 
anxious  for  her  safety,  found  means  to  convey  intelligence  to  her  that  he  would  take  meas- 
ures to  have  her  brought  into  the  British  camp.  For  this  purpose  she  was  directed  to  come 
to  Mrs.  Campbell's,  a  relative  of  hers,  who  lived  in  a  hoi:se  now  standing  in  Fort  Edwaid 
village.  Here  she  was  to  wait  till  he  sent  a  convoy  for  her  safety.  Miss  M'Crea  left  her 
home  in  the  morning,  crossed  the  river  by  Mr.  Jones'  house,  took  breakfast  "  at  the  old 
Baldwin  house,"  near  by  Fort  Edward,  and  from  thence  went  to  Mrs.  Campbell's. 

It  appears  that  Mr.  Jones,  by  offering  a  quantity  of  rum  as  a  reward,  induced  a  party 
of  Indians  to  go  for  Miss  M'Crea,  and  bring  her  into  the  British  camp.  Some  accounts 
state  that  when  the  Indians  came  near  the  house  they  held  up  a  letter  to  allay  her  feai», 
which  being  from  her  lover,  she  did  not  hesitate  to  venture  herself  with  them.  The  In- 
dians also  took  Mrs.  Campbell  with  thorn.  When  this  party  hud  proceeded  but  a  short 
distance,  about  half  way  up  the  elevation  north  of  the  village,  they  were  met  by  another 
party  of  Indians.  It  is  stated  that  the  latter,  hearing  of  the  offer  of  Mr.  Jones,  deter- 
mined to  share  a  portion  of  the  reward.  This  brought  on  a  contention  between  them, 
which  rose  to  such  a  height,  that  an  aged  Indian  chief,  fearful  of  the  consequences,  de- 
termined to  end  the  dispute.  Approaching  Miss  M'Crea,  he  shot  her  dead  as  she  sat  on 
her  horse.  He  then  sprung  forward,  sunk  his  tomahawk  into  her  head,  and  then  scalped 
her.  "  Tradition  reports,  that  the  Indians  divided  the  scalp,  and  that  each  parly  carried 
half  of  it  to  the  agonized  lover." 

She  was  now  stripped  of  her  clothing,  and  dragged  about  thirty  rods  west  of  the  place 
where  she  was  killed,  and  laid  under  a  log  by  the  side  of  the  ancient  pine  represented  in 
the  engraving.  It  is  stated  by  those  who  saw  her  remains,  that  they  exhibited  a  most 
shocking  opeotacle  ;  her  limbs  were  much  swollen,  and  covered  with  dust  and  blood.  An 
American  officer,  Lieutenant  Palmer,  who  hftd  been  slain  that  da"  b"  the  Indisr.:  ^ith 
Jb  of  his  men,  ai>out  80  rods  northwest  of  the  pine  tree,  was  also 'thrown  under  the  kw 

45 


y^' 


/ 


f 


964 


/ 


WAYNK   COUNTY. 


near  Misa  M  Crea,  and  the  remaiiiB  of  both  partiully  covered  with  brushwood  and  biuhes. 
1  he  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  the  spot  where  the  body  of  Miss  M'Crea  waa 
found.  The  pine  tree  which  was  then  standing,  still  remains,  having  a  venerable  and  an- 
cient appearance.  Her  name  is  inscribed  on  the  tree,  with  the  date  1777,  and  "  no  trav- 
eller pasMfl  this  spot  without  spending  a  plaintive  moment  in  contemplating  the  untimely 
fete  of  youth  and  loveliness."  At  its  root  it  is  about  5  feet  in  diameter,  standing  about  4 
rods  west  from  the  road  to  Sandy  Hill,  and  about  80  rods  north  of  the  village,  on  the  side 
of  A  sandy  ridge.  A  fine  spring  issues  a  few  feet  below  this  tree.  The  bodies  of  Miss 
M  Crea  and  Lieutenant  Palmer  were  taken  and  buried  three  miles  below  the  fort,  near 
what  was  called  the  "black  house."  About  18  years  since,  her  remains  were  taken  up 
and  re-interred  in  a  village  burying  ground  at  Fort  Edward ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cummiugs,  of 
Albany,  preached  a  funeral  sermon  on  the  occasion.  At  the  time  of  her  death  she  was 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  is  represented  as  having  been  of  a  middling  stature,  finely 
formed,  dark  hair,  and  uncommonly  beautiful.  Mr.  Jones,  who  was  about  25,  survived 
her  death  but  a  short  period,  and  it  is  said  his  hair  turned  gray  the  first  night  after  receiv- 
ing the  fatal  news. 


/ 


WAYNE  COUNTY. 

Wayne  county  was  taken  from  the  NW.  corner  of  Ontario,  and  the 
N.  of  Senaqa,  counties,  in  I893,  Greatest  length  from  E.  to  W.  35 
miles,  greatest  breadth  N.  and  S.  30. 

The  surface  is  much  diversified ;  on  the  N.  the  ancient  beach  of 
Lake  Ontario  extends  with  the  lake  E.  and  W.  from  it  4  to  8  miles ; 
forming  in  its  whole  course  a  road  through  the  county,  known  as  tlie 
bridge  road."  The  Erie  canal,  for  nearly  the  whole  of  its  devious 
course  of  43  miles  through  the  county,  keeps  the  valley  bf  Mud  creek 
add  the  Clyde.  The  soil  is  generally  highly  fertile.  The  greater  por- 
tion of  the  county  on  the  west,  including  one-fourth  of  the  towns  of 
G4len.  Rose,  and  Huron,  was  in  the  grant  to  Massachusetts  and  in 
Phelps  and  Gotham's  purchase,  passing  from  those  gentlemen  to  Rob- 
erf  Morris,  and  from  him  to  Sir  William  Pulteney,  from  whom  the 
present  possessors  derive  title.  The  remnant  in  the  east  pertained  to 
the  military  tract.     The  county  is  divided  into  15  towns  : 

Arcadia,  Lyons,  Palmyra,  Walworth, 

Butler,  Macedon,  Rose,  Williamson, 

Galen,  Marion,  Savannah,  Wolcott. 

Huron,  Ontario,  Sodus, 

iiyons,  the  shire-village,  was  incorporated  in  1831.  It  is  situated  at 
the  junction  of  Mud  creek  with  the  Canandaigua  outlet,  (below  which 
the  stream  takes  the  name  of  Clyde  river,)  and  on  the  Erie  canal,  181 
miles  from  Albany,  34  from  Rochester,  15  N.  of  Geneva,  and  16  S.  of 
Sodus  Point.  The  village  contains  about  250  dwellings,  1  Presbyte- 
rian, 1  Lutheran,  1  Methodist,  I  Baptist,  and  1  Episcopal  church,  the 
county  buildings,  a  bank,  2  newspaper  printing  offices,  a  number  of 
mills,  &c.  The  accompanying  view  was  taken  at  the  bridge  over  the 
Erie  canal,  at  the  eastern  entrance  into  the  village,  and  shows  in  the 
distance  a  number  of  public  buildings.    The  village  was  originally  laid 


} 


WAYNE    COUNTY. 


365 


P:  ,.  ^».  0'lll**i!4 


'****««»i^ii»t»«  "Mi»/ ' 


1 1  I 


»   ":■■  ■> 


Eastern  entrance  into  Lyons. 

out  by  C.  Williamson,  agent  for  the  Pulteney  estate,  and  is  said  to  have 
derived  its  name  from  the  similarity  of  its  situation  to  the  city  of  that 
name  in  France.  The  first  settlement  was  commenced  in  June,  1798, 
by  emigrants  from  New  Jersey  and  Maryland. 


Eastern  view  in  Main-street,  Palmyra. 


The  village  of  Palmyra  is  situated  on  Mud  creek  and  the  Erie  ca- 
nal, 196  miles  distant  from  Albany  by  the  post  route,  11  from  Lyons, 
13  from  Canandaigua,  and  22  from  Rochester.  It  is  a  place  of  con- 
siderable busini-ss,  containing  about  250  dwellings,  1  Presbyterian,  1 
Episcopal,  1  Methodist,  and  1  Baptist  church,  a  bank,  2  newspaper 
printing  offices,  a  number  of  mills,  &c.  The  accompanying  engraving 
shows  part  of  Main-slreet,  looking  westward. 

The  village  of  Clyde,  on  the  line  of  the  Erie  canal,  8  miles  E.  of 
Lyons,  is  a  place  of  considerable  business,  having  upwards  of  100 
dwellings,  4  churches,  and  an  academy. 


\ 


h 


*-> 


t' 


3*^  WBSTCHESTBR   COUNTY. 

WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

4^'^"?*'.",^*'^^,*  COUNTY  is  of  an  ancient  date.    It  was  represented 
^  VjfoV"  1®«J^!*^?^«  assembly  in  the  coJony,  which  met  at  New  York 
m  ibui.    And  It  has  constituted  one  county  to  this  time,  having  been 
orgamzed  as  such  by  the  general  acts  of  1788  and  1801.    Thi?  coun- 
ty conriprises  a  very  important  section  of  the  state.    Washed  on  the 
west  by  the  Hudson,  and  on  the  south  by  the  East  river  and  Long 
island  sound,  it  enjoys  very  superior  advantages  for  trade  and  com- 
merce.    The  county  generally  exhibits  a  beautiful  diversity  of  sur- 
lace.     1  he  northwestern  corner  is  considerably  broken  by  the  SE. 
border  of  the  Highlands,  of  a  mountain  character,  and  a  range  of 
hills  of  moderate  height  extends  from  York  Island  towards  the  NE 
extremity,  on  which  are  situated  the  heights  and  hills  much  known  in 
the  revolution.     Croton  River,  the  stream  which  supplies  the  cToton 
aqueduct  with  water,  rises  in  Dutchess  and  Putnam  counUes  from 
several  beautiful  lakes.    It  flows  through  part  of  the  county  in  a  souZ 
ern  direction,  and  empties  into  the  Hudson  about  two  miles  above  the  vil- 

Itfv.  R  ^"^  ^'"^  •  }^''^\  *^°"*  ^^  ™^'^«-  B^<^»^  river,  named  after  Jo- 
seph  Bronx,  an  early  settler,  rises  in  Rye  Pond,  and  after  a  course  of  25 
miles  passes  into  the  Sound.  Based  upon  primitive  rock,  the  soil  is  natur- 
n7w£  "V  !f  '^"'^i-'l'^  productive  by  careful  and  painful  cultivation. 
SeiTtr^ln  r^  "''J  ^'"'''  ^"^  *^'  inhabitants  import  large  portion  of 
S?ioKif  :  ^''  ®"'"'"^'  •'.'°P'  *'«  S°°^'  ^"d  by  the  use  li  plaster, 
valuable  returns  ,n  grass  are  obtained.  The  chief  business  of  the  in' 
habitants  consists  in  supplying  New  York  city  with  garden  stuffs, 
field  vegetables,  butter,  poultry,  &c.  J-  S       •    »"J"s, 

This  county  suffered  severely  during  the  revolution.     The  whole 
southern  part  was  marked  by  the  mSches,  works  of  defencr  or 

e^tZ  n?  "t  ^'"'''  f,.^r"'  "™^^«-  ^"^'  i"d««d,  the  active'c^' 
«Sr?h/  .  ^^\  '""v™'  ""^'^  principally  confined  to  this  region, 
and  m  the  autumn  to  this  county,  where  the  two  armies  were  in  ful 
force,  constantly  on  the  alert,  and  under  the  eyes  of  their  respective 
commanders.  The  county  is  divided  into  22  towns,  a^^^  ofCch 
Tastle^Kll'^^  '''  -'  ^'  ^-^  '^''  '^««.  -cepting  New 

Mamaroneck,       Ossinsin, 
Mount  Pleasant,  Pelham, 
New  Castle,        Poundridge, 
New  Rochelle,     Rye, 
North  Castle,       Scarsdale, 
North  Salem,       Somers, 


Bedford, 

Cortlandt, 

Eastchester, 

Greensburg, 

Harrison, 


Westchester, 
White  Plains, 
Yorkers, 
Yorktown. 


Lewisborough, 

«nJr^f  iJ-  ""'"^^^  was  incorporated  in  1826^  It  is  situated  12  miles 
Snnnf  .K  i?  Sing  and  immediately  south  of  the  southern  termina- 
«nl  f  .u  '^?'^"*^''  The  annexed  engraving  shows  the  appear- 
fr«r^  fL  village  as  seen  from  an  elevation  a  few  rods  norttiward 
from  the  rpsd  to  Carmc].    Tlie  old  Putch  Reformed  and  the  Epis- 


\ 


WESTCHESTER    COUNTY  \ 


357 


East  view  of  Peekskill 

PrKLf  """"^  r  f  ^^«™ble  on  the  right ;  the  Methodist  and  the 
Presbytenan  church  having  a  small  tower,  are  on  the  extreme  left 
The  elevated  spire  of  the  new  Dutch  Reformed  church  is  in  the  cen 
tral  par  of  the  view.    Hudson  river,  with  the  towering  highlands  is 
seen  m  the  distance.     The  village  represented  in  the^  enlrav^ng 
situated  on  an  elevation  200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river,  half  a 

GrpVnvT  t  'r^'"='  °",  ^""'^  ''^''  ''^^  ^««P  r^^»««'  i"  which  flows 
Gregorys  brook,  a  rapid  stream.     There  are  in  the  village  a  bank 

8  printing-offices,  2  large  iron  foundries.  &c.     There  is  Scademy. 

a  large  edihce,  situated  on  a  commanding  eminence  at  the  south      It 

was  erected  by  subscription,  at  an  expense  of  $7,000.     The  villaee 

including  the  landing,  contains  upwards  of  200  dwellings,  and  2 

churches  for  Friends,  besides  those  mentioned  above.     There  is  a 

^  H^";;f  ?h*  h'^  "*  '^''  P'''^  !°  ^^^Jdwell's  landing,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Hudson,  two  miles  distant.  Verplanck's  point  and  fconti- 
nental  village,  places  distinguished  in  the  revolutionary  war.  are  with- 
m  the  hm.ts  of  this  town.  This  latter  place,  which  had  barracks  for 
2,000  men,  was  burnt  by  the  British  in  October.  1777 ;  the  followin? 
2^^777  ''  extracted  from  the  Connecticut  Journal  of  AprH 


The  general  having  received  a  reinforcement  from  Col.  Gansevoort'sreSint^fM^ 


V 


/ 


358 


/ 


WK8TCHE8TER    COUNTY. 


men,  under  the  command  of  Lieut  Col.  Willet,  permitted  them  to  attempt  to  diapoMCM  the 
enemy  from  that  eminence.  Col.  Willet  having  accordingly  made  the  neccHary  diipoaition, 
advanced  with  his  small  party  with  the  greatest  firmness  and  resolution,  and  made  the  attack. 
The  enemy  instantly  fled  with  the  greatest  precipitation,  leaving  three  men  dead  on  the 
fi^ld,  and  the  whole  body,  panic-struck,  betook  tliemselves  to  their  shipping,  embarking 
'  under  cover  of  the  night ;  and  by  the  lost  accounts  they  had  sailed  down  the  river.  Be- 
fore they  embarked,  they  gave  out  they  intended  to  stop  at  Tarrytown,  on  their  way 
down,  and  attempt  to  destroy  our  magazine  of  forage  at  Wright's  mills.  Upon  their  evac- 
uating the  place.  Gen.  McDougal  took  poeses^ion  of  his  former  quarters,  and  detached  a 
party  of  men  to  watch  their  motions.  The  enemy,  on  this  occasion,  have  been  exceed- 
ingly disappointed,  as  they  have  not  been  able  to  carry  olf  any  stores  left  behind  by  our 
men,  ond  no  other  flock  than  about  40  sheep  and  8  or  10  head  of  cattle,  with  which  they 
were  supplied  by  our  good  friends  the  tories.  Never  did  troops  exhibit  more  firmness  and 
resolution  than  did  our  army  on  this  occasion.  Notwitltstauding  the  disparity  of  numbers 
was  great,  and  the  measure  absolutely  neceasary.  it  was  with  the  utmost  reluctance  they 
retired  to  the  pass.  As  usual,  these  heroes  of  Britain  have  burnt  some  houses,  plundered 
the  inhabitants  of  what  they  could  conveniently  take  with  them,  frightened  the  women 
and  children,  and  raised  the  spirits  of  their  tory  brethren  in  that  quarter,  but  which,  alas, 
as  is  always  the  case  when  unnaturally  elevated,  are  now  again  proportionably  de- 
pressed." 

Peekskill  is  the  birthplace  of  John  Paulding,  the  American  farmer, 
who  intercepted  Andre,  the  British  spy,  at  1'arrytown,  some  fifteen 
miles  below  this  place.  His  monument  is  situated  about  two  miles  to 
the  north  of  the  village.  It  is  built  of  marble,  of  a  pyramidal  shape, 
about  fifteen  feet  in  height,  and  running  to  a  point.  It  is  enclosed  in 
an  iron  railing  about  twelve  feet  square.  The  main  inscription  is  on 
the  south  side,  and  runs  thus  : — 

"  Here  repose  the  mortal  remains  of  John  Pauldino,  who  died  on  the  18th  day  of  Feb- 
'  rnary,  1818,  in  the  GOth  year  of  his  age.  On  the  morning  of  the  23d  of  September,  1780, 
^accompanied  by  two  young  farmers  of  the  county  of  Westchester,  (whose  names  will  one 
day  be  recorded  on  their  own  deserved  monuments,)  he  intercepted  the  British  spy,  Andre. 
Poor  himself,  he  disdained  to  acquire  wealth  by  sacrificing  his  country.  Rejecting  the  temp- 
tation of  great  rewards,  he  conveyed  his  prisoner  to  the  American  camp,  and  by  this  act 
of  noble  self-denial,  the  treason  of  Arnold  was  detected  ;  the  designs  of  the  enemy  baffled  ; 
West  Point  and  the  American  army  saved,  and  these  U.  S.,  now  by  the  grace  of  God 
free  and  independent,  rescued  from  imminent  peril."  On  the  opposite  side  is  written — 
"  The  corporation  of  the  city  of  New  York  erect  this  tomb  as  a  memorial  raised  to  public 
gratitude."  On  the  east  side  is  a  beautiful  wreath  engraved  on  the  marble,  with  the 
word,  "  Fidelity." 

Tarrytown  is  pleasantly  situated,  28  miles  N.  of  New  York,  on  an 
elevation  overlooking  the  Hudson,  opposite  the  widest  part  of  Tap- 
pan  bay.  The  village  contains  4  churches,  80  or  90  dwellings,  and 
about  1,000  inhabitants.  The  following  is  a  view  of  the  place,  situated 
about  one  fourth  of  a  mile  N.  of  the  village  where  Andre  was  taken 
prisoner,  in  Sept.,  1780,  by  three  militiamen.  The  road  at  that  time 
ran  a  little  to  the  west  of  its  present  location.  The  three  were  play- 
ing cards  in  the  field  on  the  right  of  the  engraving,  which  was  then 
covered  with  trees  and  shrubbery,  when  their  attention  was  arrested 
by  the  clattering  of  a  horse's  hoofs  over  a  wooden  bridge  thrown  across 
the  little  brook  seen  in  the  foreground.  They  left  their  cards,  and  ar- 
rested Andre  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  where  now  stands  a  small  ^ine 
tree,  near  which  a  human  figure  is  placed  in  the  engraving. 

The  annexed  account  of  the  taking  of  Andre,  is  from  a  manuscript 
in  the  possession  of  Isaac  H.  Tiffany,  Esq.,  of  Fullonville,  being  the 
notes  of  a  personal  conversation  which  he  had  with  David  Williams, 


369 


• 

/ 


North  view  of  the  place  where  Andre  mat  taken  pritoner. 

?o®i°/,i^°  ^^^^^^  ^"  the  scene  at  Broome,  Schoharie  county,  Feb. 
13,  1817. 

Williams,  Von  Wart,  and  Paulding,  (Williams  aged  between  22  and  23,  the  other  two 
being  younger,)  were  going  to  see  some  relations  20  miles  below.    The  three  were  seated 

'?  J  u  .u  .1"  ^^^  H."*^,*''  """"^'ng  themselves  at  cards,  when  their  attention  wa«  ar. 
rested  by  the  galloping  of  a  horse.  On  approaching  the  road,  they  saw  a  gentleman  riding 
towards  them,  seated  on  a  largo  brown  horse,  which  was  afterward  observed  to  have  marked 
on  the  near  shoulder  the  initials  U.  S.  A.  The  rider  was  a  light,  trim-built  man,  about  5 
feet  7  inches  in  height,  with  a  bold  military  countenance  and  dark  eyes,  and  was  dressed 
in  a  round  hat,  blue  surtout,  crimson  coat,  with  pantaloons  and  vest  of  nankeen.  As  he 
neared  them,  the  three  cocked  their  muskets  and  aimed  at  the  rider,  who  immediately 
checked  hit.  horse,  and  the  following  conversation  ensued : 

Andre.  "  Gentlemen,  I  hope  you  are  of  our  party  !" 

Paulding.  "What  party?" 

Andre.  "  The  lower  partf." 

Paulding,  "  We  do." 

Andre.  "  I  am  a  British  officer ;  I  have  been  up  in  the  country  on  particular  business,  and 
would  not  wish  to  be  detained  a  single  moment." 

He  thereupon,  pulled  out  a  gold  watch,  and  exhibited  it  as  an  evidence  that  he  was  a 
gentleman,  and  returned  it  again  to  his  fob.  Paulding  thereupon  remarked,  "  We  are  Ameri. 
cans." 

Andre.  "  God  bless  my  soul !  a  man  must  do  any  thing  to  get  along— I  am  a  continental 
officer,  going  down  to  Dobbs  Ferry  to  get  information  from  below." 

Andre  then  drew  out  and  presented  a  pass  from  General  Arnold,  in  which  was  the  as- 
sumed name  of  John  Anderson.  Seizing  hold  upon  the  reins  of  the  horse,  they  ordered  him 
to  dismount.  Andre  exclaimed,  "  You  will  bring  yourself  into  trouble !"  "  We  care  not 
for  that,"  was  the  reply.  They  took  him  down  ten  or  fifteen  rods  beside  a  run  of  water, 
and  Williams  proceeded  to  search  the  hat,  coat,  vest,  shirt,  and  pantaloons,  in  which  they 
found  ^80  m  continental  money ;  and  at  last  ordered  him  to  take  off  his  boots.  At  this, 
hechanged  color.  Williams  drew  off  the  left  boot  first,  and  Paulding  seizing  it  exclaimed, 
"  u  I'r®'"^ '  '*®™  ''  '* '"  ^"  ''  *™*  ^'^^^  *''®®'*  of  written  paper  were  found  enveloped  by 
a  half  sheet,  marked,  "  contents  West  Point."  Paulding  again  exclaimed,  "  My  God  !  he't 
a  em .'»    On  pulling  off  the  other  boot,  a  similar  package  was  found. 

Andre  was  now  allowed  to  dress,  and  they  marched  him  across  the  road  into  the  field 
about  twenty  rods.  The  young  men  winked  to  each  other  to  make  further  discoveries,  and 
inquired  from  whom  he  got  the  papers  ?  "  Of  a  man  at  Pine's  bridge,  a  stranger  to  me," 
replied  Andre.  He  then  offered  them  for  his  liberty,  his  horse  and  equipage,  watch,  and 
100  guineas.  This  they  refused  to  take,  unless  he  informed  them  where  he  obtained  the 
manuscript.  He  refused  to  comply,  but  again  offered  his  horse,  equipage,  and  one  thousand 
guineas.  They  were  firm  in  their  denial,  and  Andre  increased  his  offer  to  ten  thousand 
guineas  and  as  many  drygoods  as  they  wished,  which  should  he  dfiposited  in  any  place 
desired,— that  they  might  keep  him  and  send  some  one  to  New  York  with  his  order,  so 


I 


360 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 


that  they  could  obtain  tfiem  unmolested.  To  tliis  they  replied,  "  that  it  did  not  lifiiify  for 
him  to  make  any  offer,  for  he  aliould  not  go."  They  then  proceeded  to  the  neareat  mili- 
tary atation,  which  waa  at  North  Caatle,  about  twelve  milea  diatant.  On  the  way,  Andre 
5ave  them  his  watch,  telling  them  that  "  it  waa  a  priie."  On  delivering  him  to  Colonel 
amieaon,  the  commanding  officer,  that  gentleman  enjoined  the  atricteat  aecrecy,  at  the 
■uno  time  expreesing  an  opinion  that  there  were  othera  doubtleaa  concerned  in  the  plot. 
"^  ""%#"«*"■  Major  Tallmadge,  who  had  commanded  a  guard,  received  Andre  at  Colonel  Jamieaon's 
quarten,  and  afterward,  with  about  twenty  men,  conducted  him  to  Colonel  Sheldon,  at 
Salem.  The  three  accompanied  Andre  part  of  the  way,  and  then  left.  During  the  night, 
Tallmadge  caused  Andre  to  be  tied  to  a  tree  at  Comyen  hill.  From  Salem  he  waa  con- 
veyed to  Weat  Point,  and  fVom  thonce  to  Tappan. 

Williams,  Paulding,  and  Van  Wart,  stood  within  the  ring  when  Andre  was  hung. 
When  the  officer  informed  him  that  hia  time  had  nearly  expired,  and  inquired  if  he  had 
any  thing  to  say,  he  answered,  "  Nothing,  but  for  them  to  witneaa  to  the  world  that  he 
died  like  a  brave  man."  The  hangman,  who  waa  painted  black,  offered  to  put  on  the 
noose — "  Take  off  your  black  handa  !"  said  Andre ;  then  putting  on  the  nooae  himaelf, 
took  out  hia  handkerchief,  tied  it  on,  drew  it  up,  bowed  with  a  amile  to  hia  acquaintances, 
and  died. 

David  Williams,  now  (Feb.  13,  1817)  aged  61,  waa  bom  at  Tarrytown,  of  Dutch  ex- 
traction, and  speaks  that  language.  Paulding  and  Van  Wart  were  also  Dutch  ;  neither 
of  the  three  apoke  English  well.  Congress  gave  each  a  farm  in  Weatcheater  county,  of 
the  value  of  X'500,  an  annuity  of  $200  through  life,  together  with  an  elegant  ailver  medal, 
on  one  side  of  which  was  the  inscription,  "  Fidelity,"  and  on  the  reverse,  the  motto 
"  Amor  patritB  vincit,"  (the  love  of  country  conquers.) 

^  Three  miles  E.  of  Tarrytown,  is  the  small  villace  of  Greensburgh, 

where  there  are  a  few  neat  dwellings,  and  a  Presbyterian  church,  in 
whose  cemetery  rest  the  remains  of  Isaac  Van  Wart,  one  of  the  cap- 
tors of  Andre  ;  over  which  is  a  marble  monument,  consisting  of  a  base 
and  pyramid,  with  the  following  inscription  : 

"  Here  repose  the  mortal  remains  of  Isaac  Van  Wart,  an  elder  of  the  Greenburgh 
church,  who  died  on  the  23d  of  May,  1828,  in  the  69th  year  of  his  age.  Having  lived  the 
life,  he  died  the  death  of  the  Christian.— The  citizens  of  the  pounty  of  Westchester  erect- 
ed this  tomb,  in  testimony  of  the  high  sense  they  entertained  for  the  virtuous  and  patriotic 

conduct  of  their  fellow-citizen,  and  as  a  memorial  sacred  to  public  gratitude Vincit 

Amor  PatriflB.— Nearly  half  a  century  before  this  monument  was  built,  the  conscript  fa- 
thers of  America  had,  in  the  senate  chamber,  voted  that  Isaac  Van  Wart  was  a  faithful 
patriot— one  in  whom  the  love  of  country  was  invincible,  and  this  tomb  bears  testimony 
that  the  record  is  true.— Fidelity.  On  the  23d  of  Sept.  1780,  Isaac  Van  Wart,  accompa- 
nied by  John  Paulding  and  David  Williams,  all  farmers  of  the  county  of  Westchester,  in- 
tercepted Major  Andre  on  his  return  from  the  American  lines  in  the  character  of  a  spy, 
and  notwithstanding  the  large  bribea  offered  them  for  his  release,  nobly  disdained  to  sacri- 
fice their  country  for  gold,  secured  and  carried  him  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  dis- 
trict, whereby  the  dangerous  and  traitorous  conspiracy  of  Arnold  was  brought  to  light,  the 
insidious  designs  of  the  enemy  baffled,  the  American  army  saved,  and  our  beloved  coun- 
try  freed,"  &c. 

The  village  of  Sing  Sing,  34  miles  from  New  York,  was  incorporated 
in  1813.  It  consists  of  upwards  of  200  dwellings,  4  churches,  an 
academy,  and  a  female  semmary.  The  greater  part  of  the  village  is 
situated  on  high  and  uneven  ground.  The  Mount  Pleasant  State 
Prison  is  situated  about  half  a  mile  S.  of  the  village,  and  usually  con 
tains  from  800  to  900  convicts.  Large  quantities  of  marble  are  quar- 
ried in  the  vicinity  by  the  convicts  for  the  New  York  and  other  mar- 
kets. The  noted  locality  of  "  Sleepy  Hollow"  rendered  so  famous 
by  the  entertaicing  legend  of  Washington  Irving,  adjoins  the  north  part 
01  Tarrvtow". 


WMTORMTU   OOUKTY. 


361 


Southeast  view  of  WhiU  Plains  village,  (central  part.) 

White  Plains  has  a  hilly  but  mostly  an  arable  soil,  well  adapted 
for  grazing  Pod.  1,087.  The  half-shfre  village  of  White  Plains  is 
Situated  on  the  old  post  road  to  Boston,  87  miles  NE.  from  New  York. 
125  from  Albany,  and  14  miles  SW.  from  Bedford.  It  contains  2  Meth- 
odist,  1  Presbyterian,  1  Episcopal,  and  1  Baptist  church,  the  county 
buildings,  an  academy,  70  or  80  dwellings,  and  about  550  inhah- 
itants.  1  he  above  view  shows  the  appearance  of  the  central  part 
ot  the  village:  the  courthouse,  an  ancient  building,  is  seen  on  the 
lelt,  the  spire  of  the  academy  on  the  extreme  right. 

The  following  account  of  the  military  operations  in  this  town  and 
Us  vicinity  in  Oct.  1776,  and  the  events  which  followed,  is  from 
Uotta  s  American  Revolution.  ; 

wh!I''fK^"*'"*'^?Tl'"®?''''"*"'  '*''*'"''  ^""^  "*  ^°»8  Neck,  aa  well  to  repair  the  bridrna 
id  f  5m  '^^1  ?",'*  ^r^"^^  "  '"a  T'  &'  "  «»"«''«'»ble  reinforcement  which  ITl^^ 

2  coZ„«  ™1  "f  •  ^n"  '°"'*  f™'"/r°g8  Neck  to  Kingsbridge  is  excessivelv  rough 
Tn-.  w  i-  r*"  "f  «">»'' «»"««.  ond  the  Americans  had  also  obstructed  it  in  m^y 
placea.  Washington,  who  had  assembled  all  his  army  at  Kingsbridge,  sent  forward  h2 
light  infantry  to  scour  the  country,  and  to  harass  the  enemy  in  hif  marfh. 

tro„«^"k  '  aTI  KcevfBA  his  reinforcements,  put  himself  in  motion  with  aUUa 

3  Kv^j."*^  f!.'*"?™  ^%"?I'  '•'^  ''*"'  "»  «"*='""P  »*  New  Rochelle,  where  he  WM 
d  ^  the  second  dmsion  of  Hessians,  and  of  the  troops  of  Waldeck  under  Gen.  Knyp! 

Irir^l^n?  •''^''  f'S"'"'  1- •"^"'■^  ''"*?y  ""^"^'^  "'  New  York  from  Ireland.  A^  ffi 
principal  project  of  the  expedition  was  to  intercept  the  communication  of  Washington  with 

?n  r  r„f  f 'm^'^'v"!  '•''"•  '^  *'"  f'^""*"*  *°  '«"*"«  •*"  engagement,  to  shSm  ij 
into  r„nn.i  .  T  ^°*'  eensequently  it  was  necessary  to  occS^  the  ti^o  roads  leadiJJ 
into  Connecticut  the  one  upon  the  coast  of  the  sound,  and  the  other  more  inland.  Thf 
hrat  was  already  in  the  power  of  the  English ;  but  in  attempting  to  occupy  the  second,  it 
WM  requisite  to  traverse  the  difficult  country  of  which  we  have  already  made  mention,  in 
Sof  KTrSbridi"™"  highlands,  known  by  the  name  of  White  Plain..  n^nt£ 

«,l^*r""*!^  determined  to  take  this  route;  he  marched,  however,  slowly  and  with 
Cower  r^l'rinftV'"""*  "*  ^Z  Rochelle  the  German  corps,  lately'arrived,  to  secu" 
w!ri T     •     '  ""*  *''°  communicauon  with  those  places  whence  stores  and  necessaries 

Wore  10  BITlve* 

H«iZ!l"!!!J"i'°"  examined,  with  attention,  the  danger  of  his  position.  He  penetrated  th« 
.^^!i,  ®"*'"''*  «»?d  consequently  decided  to  abandon,  with  the  main  body  of  his 

•nny,  the  encamnment  n(  ir;nir<ihn<l<r<>     Es**";*! •»• ^-.r-  •---  '  '^     •  "^'.^'  ."'  "" 

with  if  in  .u-  iiri.-.     ni" l~r — ?"' .  7^ — '-"'"et  "ictciorn,  um  jcii  wing,  ne  took  post 

with  It  in  tiie  Whits  Plains,  while  the  right  occupied  ths  heights  of  Valenlle'*  Hill,  neiir 

46 

(■ 


303 


WMTOHUTIB  COUNT  r. 


Xingibridga ;  the  cantn  exactly  filled  the  apace  comprehended  between  theM  two  poiati. 
Here  he  intrenched  hinuelf  with  the  greateet  care.  Hia  army  thui  formed  a  well  aecured 
line,  parallel  to  the  river  Bronx,  which  lav  on  ita  front,  and  aeparated  it  from  the  Engliah, 
who  marched  up  along  the  left  bank  of  thia  atream. 

"  WaaUflgton  had  behind  him  the  great  river  Hudaon,  into  which  the  Engliah  frigates 
^d  Mt  yet  been  able  to  penetrate  ao  far  aa  to  intercept  the  auppliea  of  proviiiiona  which  ha 
noaived  from  the  upper  parte.  With  hia  left  wing  he  occupied  (he  upper  road  of  Connec- 
ticut, by  which  ho  waa  alao  abundantly  luppiied  with  provieiona  and  munitiona.  He  had 
left  Buiticient  garriaona  at  Kingfibridge,  at  Harlem,  and  in  Fort  Waahington ;  in  thia  laat 
place,  however,  againit  hia  own  opinion.  Meanwhile,  he  detached  numerous  parties,  over 
the  Bronx,  in  order  to  retard  the  moliona  of  the  enemy.  Hence  frequent  ikirmiahea  enaued, 
■nd  though  the  royaliata  had  generally  the  advantage  in  tbeae  (;encountera,  they  atill  aerved 
to  diaaipate  the  terror  of  the  AmoricauB,  who  every  day  ahowed  themaolves  more  bold  in 
defying  the  enemy. 

"Upon  the  approach  of  the  Engliah  to  the  White  Plaine,  Washington,  all  at  once,  called 
in  his  detachmenta,  and  abandoning  the  positions  ha  had  occupied  along  the  Bronx,  asaeni. 
bled  all  his  troopa  in  a  strung  camp  upon  the  heights,  near  these  plaina,  in  front  of  the  enemy. 
Hia  right  flank  waa  protected  by  the  Bronx,  which,  by  its  windings,  alao  covered  the  front 
of  the  right  wing.  The  main  body  waa  nearly  parallel  to  the  river,  and  the  left  wing  being 
placed  at  a  right  angle  upon  the  centre,  and  conaequently  parallel  to  the  right,  extended 
towards  the  north  upon  the  hilla,  aa  much  aa  waa  necessary  to  guard  the  defilea  leading  to 
the  upper  mountainoua  regions,  into  which  the  army,  if  expedient,  might  retire.  But  the 
right  wing,  being  posted  in  more  level  and  leaa  diflicult  ground,  found  itself  more  exposed ; 
wherefore  Gen.  McDougall  waa  ordered  to  occupy,  with  a  strong  detachment,  a  mountain 
about  a  mile  distant  from  the  camp ;  he  intrenched  himself  there  aa  well  as  the  time  would 
admit  of. 

"  Such  waa  the  position  of  the  American  army  when  the  English  arrived  within  7  or  8 
milea  of  White  Plains,  and  prepared  themselvea  to  attack  without  loss  of  time.  On  the 
morning  of  the  aSth  of  Oct.  they  advanced  in  3  cwlumns,  the  right  commanded  by  Gen. 
Clinton,  and  the  lei^  by  Gen.  Heister.    At  noon,  all  the  outposts  be.  ng  driven  back  by  the 

^\    English  and  Hessian  light  infantry,  the  British  army  appeared  before  the  American  camp. 

■*  \  Immediately  there  ensued  a  cannonade,  but  to  very  little  effect.  The  English  drew  up  in 
order  of  batUe  ;  their  right  occupied  the  road  which  leads  to  Marrineck,  about  a  mile  distant 
from  the  centre  of  the  enemy ;  while  the  left,  equally  distant  from  his  -ight,  bordered  the 
Bronx.  The  English  general  having  observed  the  importance  of  the  poeit.on  taken  by  Gen. 
McDougall,  and  being  persuaded  that  the  right  of  the  enemy,  which  waa  h  «  only  assailable 
point,  could  not  be  forced  so  long  aa  it  should  be  protected  by  a  post  of  su-ih  strength,  re. 
solved  to  wrest  it  from  the  Americans.  He  ordered  a  Hessian  regiment,  commanded  by 
Col.  Ralle,  to  ford  the  Bronx,  and  by  a  circuitous  movement  to  fall  upon  the  flank  of  Gen 
McDougall,  while  Gen.  Leslie  should  attack  him  in  front  with  a  brigade  of  English  and 
Hessians.  Col.  Ralle  having  arrived  at  the  point  indicated,  Leslie,  who  had  also  crossed 
the  Bronx,  furiously  assaulted  the  intrenchmenta  of  McDougall.  The  militia  soon  fled,  but 
the  regular  troops  made  a  valiant  resistance.  A  regiment  of  Maryland,  conducted  by  Col. 
Smallwood,  and  a  regiment  of  New  York,  under  Col.  Ratzemar,  ventured  even  to  come 
out  of  the  linea  and  to  charge  the  enemy  at  the  very  foot  of  the  mountain,  but  they  were 
overpowered  by  numbers  and  forced  to  retire.  Then  the  English  and  Hessians  ascended 
the  heights  with  singular  intrepidity,  and  took  possession  of  them  after  a  vigorous  struggle. 
,  The  Americans,  however,  continued  for  some  time  to  fire  from  behind  the  walls  of  euclo- 
/  tures,  and  thus  retarded  the  progress  of  the  assailants.  But  Gen.  Putnam,  who  had  been 
■ent  to  their  succor,  could  not  arrive  in  season.  The  loss  of  men  in  this  action  was  great 
on  the  one  part  aa  well  aa  on  the  other. 

"  Washington,  calmly  expecting  that  the  enemy  would  come  to  attack  him  next,  had 
already  sent  into  his  rear  the  sick  and  the  baggage ;  but  aa  it  grew  towards  the  close  of  day, 
the  English  general  determined  to  defer  the  assault  till  the  next  morning.  He  caused  his 
troops  to  encamp  within  cannon-ahot  of  the  American  linea.  Washington  took  advantage 
of  the  night  to  strengthen  them  with  additional  works,  and  to  occupy  a  stronger  position  in 
the  rear  with  his  left  wing,  which,  by  the  loss  of  the  mountain,  had  become  more  exposed. 
When  the  light  appeared.  Gen.  Howe  reconnoitred  the  intrenchmenta  of  the  enemy,  and 
found  them  sufficiently  formidable  to  determine  him  to  wait  the  arrival  of  some  battalions 
that  had  been  left  at  New  York,  under  the  command  of  Lord  Percy,  and  of  several  compa- 
niea  from  Marrineck.  These  reinforcements  being  received  on  the  evening  of  the  30th,  he 
appointed  the  following  morning  for  the  aasault,  but  the  excessive  rain  which  fell  during  the 
night  and  also  in  the  miming,  compelled  him  to  defer  it.  The  American  general,  in  the 
mean  time,  examined  hia  position  with  his  accustomed  prudence ;  he  was  decided  not  to 


WESTOUEITBm   UOUNTT. 


868 


don  waa  great 


riak  a  pitchad  battle  without  the  atroniteat  hope  of  aucoeM.  He  perwiTed  that  the  Euliah 
had  .lr«ady  erected  4  or  5  batteriea,  and  that  by  turnin«  hi.  right  flMl^^a«ymi*ht  «^d«u 
ae^ion  of  the  height,  a.tuated  upon  hi.  rear.  Ho  concluded,  therefore,  to  ^*.k'u„'^S 
camp  m  the  n«ht  of  the  let  of  November.  He  removed  inlo  •  count,^  rtiUmow  moun 
toinou.  m  the  vtcmuy  of  North  Ca.tloi  having  previou.ly.et  fire  to  th^  ho^TS  Whit.' 
P  atn.  and  the  ne^hborhood,  and  to  the  forage  that  wa.  found  in  the  camp^,  immS 
•tely  detached  a  .trong  corp.  to  occupy  the  bridge  over  the  Cro.on  river.  wLh  leld.  to^ 
America'ncalp  ^  ""  ""  ""■  '"""*'"«  """'"^  ""'  '^"«'"'>  '«"'^  P<*^«^on  o7  !£ 
"Oen.Howe,  perceiving  that  hi.  enemy  declined  an  engagement,  and  that  from  the 
..lu.t.o„  of  the  country,  and  hi.  knowledge  of  every  advanfa^eou.  po.ition.it  wouTdS 
impoMible  to  compel  h.m  to  (ight  but  upon  the  moat  unequal  and  hazardou.  tet^ne.^ook  tS 
determination  to  diMominue  the  purauit.  and  to  turn  hi.  attention  to  the  reduction  of  the 
fort,  and  fuatneMoa  .till  occupied  by  the  American,  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York 

wiV'''1?..rT/Tr'"''' ''T 'I''  """u"'  ^""  Washington,  which  wa.  it.  principal  buU 
AK  u  °"'v"'»"K'',''>«  ground  where  thia  fortres.  had  been  erected  wa.  very  rough  and 
difficult.  It.  fortification,  were  not  .uflicienily  .trong  to  re.i.t  heavy  artillery.  It  wm  inciu 
pable.  Jrom  it.  little  extent,  of  containing  more  than  a  thouaand  defendera:  the  outworka 
that  aurrounded  it.  especially  to  the  aouth.  towarda  New  York,  might  lodge,  it  i.  true  » 
much  atronger  garrison.  —muo,  ■ 

"The  comrnander-in-chief.  o.  if  he  had  foreaeen  the  event,  had  written  to  Gen.  Greene, 
who  commanded  in  thi.  part,  enjoining  him  to  reflect  maturely  upon  hi.  poaiiion.  and  ii! 
ca.e  he  should  find  that  Fort  Washington  wa.  not  in  a  situation  tS  .u.tain  an  asiault.  \l 
cause  It  to  be  forthwith  evacuated;  and  to  transport  the  garriwn  to  the  right  bank  of  the 
Hudson.  But  this  general,  either  beheving  that  the  strength  of  the  place  and  the  valor  of 
the  troopa  would  asaure  him  a  long  defence,  or  from  the  apprehension  that  his  retreat  would 
increase  the  already  too  general  discouragement  of  the  Americans,  took  the  resolution  to 
hold  out  to  the  last.  He  wa.  herein  the  more  eaaily  determined,  lu.  he  believed  that  the 
garrison  would  always  be  able  to  retreat  into  Fort  Lee,  situated  upon  the  other  bank  of  the 
nver.  But  Washington  judged  less  favorably  of  the  future  ;  he  wa.  persuaded  that  iho 
hnghsh  would  not  remain  aatufied  with  the  reduction  of  the  first  fort ;  but  that  croasinir  tho 
nver,  and  making  themselves  maaters  of  the  aecond,  which  was  not  tenable,  they  would 
apread  themaelve.  in  the  province  of  New  Jersey.  He  left  therefore  Gen.  Lee,  with  the 
militia  of  the  eastern  provinces,  upon  tho  left  bank  of  the  Hudson,  end  having  secured  th« 
•trong  position,  towards  the  Croton  river,  and  especially  that  of  Peeks  Kill,  near  the  Hui 
wn  Itself,  he  crossed  that  river  with  the  main  body  of  hi.  army,  and  went  to  rejoin  Gen. 
Ureene  m  hi.  camp  under  Fort  Lee.  Gen.  Lee  himself  had  orders  to  come  with  all  speed 
and  join  him,  in  caae  the  enemy,  after  having  taken  the  fort,  should  show  himself  upon  the 
nght  bank  of  the  Hudson.  He  afterward  wrote  to  the  governor  of  New  Jersey,  requesting 
nim  to  remove  the  magazines  of  provisions  into  the  most  remote  parts,  and  to  call  out  tU 
itie  miiuia.  All  these  dispositions  being  made  to  his  wish,  Washington  watched  with  an 
attentive  eye  the  movements  of  the  enemy. 

"Meanwhile,  Gen.  Howe  had  ordered  Gen.  Knyphausen  to  march  from  New  Rochelle. 
and  to  occupy  Kingsbndge.  ThU  he  executed  without  obstacleB,  the  Americans,  who 
guarded  this  position,  having  fallen  back  upon  Fort  Washington.  The  corps  of  Gen.  Knyn. 
hausen  consequently  penetrated  into  the  island  of  New  York,  and  proceeded  to  invest  tha 
tort,  on  the  part  of  the  north. 

"  A  short  time  after,  the  English  general  himself  abandoned  the  White  Plains,  and  de- 
fending along  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  conducted  the  rest  of  the  army  to  Kingsbndge. 
«e  pitched  his  camp  upon  the  heights  of  Fordham,  hi.  right  wing  being  covered  by  the 
Hudson,  and  his  left  by  the  Bronx. 

"  The  royalists  then  prepared  to  attack  Fort  Washington ;  its  interior  and  appurtenance* 
were  defended  by  full  3,000  men,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Magaw,  a  brave  and  expert, 
enced  officer.  He  was  summoned  in  vain  to  surrender.  The  besiegers  proceeded  to  the 
assault  in  four  divisions,  the  first  from  the  north,  commanded  by  Gen.  Knyphausen.  and 
consisting  of  Hessians  and  the  troops  of  Waldeck;  the  second  from  the  east,  composed  of 
ii-nglish  light  infantry  and  two  battalions  of  guards,  conducted  by  Gen.  Matthews.  Thia 
corps  was  to  attack  the  intrenchments  which  extended  from  Fort  Washington  almost  to  the 
t-ast  river ;  the  third,  commanded  by  Col.  Steriing,  waa  destined  to  pass  this  river  lower 
down  than  the  second,  in  order  to  assail  the  fort  more  to  the  south ;  but  this  waa  only  a 
teint  The  fourth,  which  obeyed  the  orders  of  Lord  Percy,  a  very  strong  corps,  was  direct, 
ed  to  aim  its  assault  against  the  western  flank  of  the  fortress.    These  different  divisioni 

---  j-i; .  Aim  t,  ,a,nitriiru3  nuu  rAtehciii  oruucry.     ine  xiessians,  unaer  Ueii.  Kuyp 

nausen,  were  f«  naaa  through  a  very  thick  forest,  where  Col.  Rawlings  waa  already  poate« 


^ 


{ 

{ 


364 


WESTCHESTBR   COUNTY. 


With  hH  regiment  of  riflemen.  An  extremely  warm  affair  wu  enraged,  in  which  the 
GennanR  sustained  a  severe  loss.  The  Americans,  arobiwhed  behind  the  trees  and  rocks, 
fired  m  security ;  but  at  last,  the  Hearians  redoubling  their  efforts,  gained  a  very  steep  as- 
cent, whence  they  came  down  upon  the  enemy  with  an  irresistible  impetuosity  ;  the  di- 
▼taiona  which  followed  them  were  thus  enabled  to  land  without  molestation.  Col.  Raw- 
liagB  retreated  under  the  cannon  of  the  fort  Lord  Percy,  on  his  part,  had  carried  an 
advanced  work,  which  facilitated  the  debarkation  of  the  party  under  Col.  Stiriing,  who, 
the  moment  he  had  landed,  forced  his  way  up  a  difficult  height,  which  was  very  resolutely 
defended  ;  he  gained  the  summit,  where  he  took  a  considerable  number  of  prisoners,  not- 
withstanding their  gallant  resistance.  Col.  CadwaUader,  who  was  charged  with  the  defence 
of  this  part,  retired  also  into  the  fort 

"  Col.  Ralle,  who  led  the  right  column  of  Gen.  Knyphausen's  attack,  surmounted  all 
Obstacles  with  admunble  valor,  and  lodged  his  column  within  100  yards  of  the  fort.  Soon 
after,  Gen.  Knyphausen  jomed  him  with  the  left  column;  having  at  length  extricated 
Himself  from  the  difficulties  encountered  in  the  forest  The  garrison  having  thus  lost 
though  not  without  glory,  all  their  advanced  works,  found  themselves  closely  mvested  with- 
in the  body  of  the  fortress.  The  besiegers  then  summoned  Col.  Magaw  to  surrender.  He 
had  already  consumed  nearly  all  his  ammunition.  The  very  multitude  of  defendera  press- 
ed ^to  so  narrow  a  space,  was  prejudicial  to  defence,  and  every  thing  demonstrated  that  he 
could  not  sustain  an  assault  Accordingly  he  decided  to  capitulate.  The  garrison,  amount- 
ing  to  ^,bOO  men,  mclusive  of  the  country  militia,  surrendered  prisonere  of  war  The 
Americans  had  few  killed  ;  the  royalists  lost  about  800,  the  greater  part  Germans.  The 
Now  Y   k  "        Washington  thus  gave  the  royal  army  entire  possession  of  the  bland  of 

Bedford,  the  half-shire  village,  contains  a  courthouse,  2  churches, 
and  about  40  dwellings,  situated  about  44  miles  NE.  of  New  York. 
John  Jay,  the  patriot  of  the  revolution,  during  the  latter  period  of  his 
hfe  resided  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town  ofBedford.  The  annexed 
sketch  of  his  life  is  from  Blake's  Biographical  Dictionary  : 

,,o/°™/*»^'  ^H?'''"''  chief-justice  of  the  United  States  under  the  constitution  of 
J7B9,  graduated  at  Kings,  (now  Columbia  college,)  1764,  and  in  1 768  was  admitted  to  the 
tor.  He  was  appointed  to  the  first  American  congress  in  1774.  Being  on  the  committee 
With  Lee  and  Livingston  to  draft  an  address  to  the  people  of  Great  Britain,  he  was  the 
writer  of  that  eloquent  production.  In  the  congress  of  1 775,  he  was  on  various  important 
iT^^f^'  P«rf<«?l'"Kmo£«  service  perhaps  than  any  other  member  except  Fraukiin  and 
John  Adams.  In  May,  1776,  he  was  recalled  to  assist  in  forming  the  government  of  New 
York,  and  in  consequence  his  name  is  not  attached  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence : 
A  A  I  ,  ,,  !.  '*P*"^e^  resolutions  in  the  provincial  convention  m  favor  of  the  declaration! 
After  the  fall  of  New  York  and  the  removal  of  the  provincial  assembly  to  Pouglikeepeie. 
Mr.  Jay  retained  his  reaolute  patriotism.  The  very  eloquent  address  of  the  convention  to 
the  people  of  New  York,  dated  FishkiU,  Dec.  23, 1776,  and  signed  by  A.  Ten  Broerk,  as 

^^!l^!h  '7'1L''J'"?''y '^"-  ^"^^  *^'  ""'  *»•  "P°''«'l  '«•  the  convention  of  New 
York  the  draft  of  a  form  of  government,  which  was  adopted,  and  many  of  the  provisions 
of  which  were  Introduced  into  the  constitution  of  other  states.  From  May  3,  1777,  to 
Aiwurt  18,  1779,  he  was  chief-justice  of  the  state,  but  resigned  that  office  inconsequence 

««„♦"-  aH'^a  h  Pf  «t*"*o°^"^°i'l"^  '^''*  Slowing  address  of  that  body  to  their  constit- 
nents,  dated  SeptemT)er  8,  1779,  was  prepared  by  him.  On  the  29th  of  September,  he  was 
appointed  mihister  plenipotentiary  to  the  court  of  Spain-     He  was  one  of  the  commission- 

I^n  «  Jq  ."tS^""  V'*.^'"'"'!  ^"i""'  «n<l«gn«d  the  definitive  treaty  of  peace  at  Pari*, 
September  3, 1 783.  He  returned  to  America  in  1 784.  Congress  had  previously  appointed 
him  secretary  of  state  for  foreign  affairs.  In  the  difficult  circumstances  of  the  country,  the 
secretary  was  in  effect  the  head  of  the  goveniment  Mr.  Jay's  services  were  of  great  im- 
Cf«T«.  »       ^n  "P' ^«'f«'!«'  13' P76,  an  elaborate  report  on  the  relations  between  the 

th«  i„  r.  ,^  ""^  ?J*'f.  ^"^''L"-  ^'"'"S'*  ""'  *  "«"''»«'■  "f  the  conventon  which  formed 
the  consUtution  of  the  United  States,  he  was  present  at  Annapolis,  and  aided  by  his  advice. 
He  also  aaswted  Madwoii  and  Hamilton  in  writing  the  Federalist  In  the  convention  nf 
iV!^  \  li"  contributed  to  the  adoption  of  the  constitution.  He  was  appointed  chief- 
justice  by  Washington,  September  26,  1789.  In  1794,  he  was  appointed  minister  pleni- 
potenUary  to  Great  Britaui,  and  succeeded  m  negotiating  the  treaty  which  still  iroes  by 
tois  name.  He  was  governor  of  the  state  of  New  York  from  ns.";  tn  l«ni  ■f'hs  re- 
uaUider  of  his  life  he  passed  ii)  retirement    H^  died  m  1829,  aged  84." 


■  .i>-i-T/  ■■"■  ""w^; 


WYOMIMO  COVNTY. 


I,  in  which  th« 
trees  and  roclu, 
a  very  steep  as- 
tuosity ;  the  di- 
on.  Col.  Raw- 
had  carried  an 
.  Stirling,  who, 

1  very  resolutely 
f  prisoners,  not- 
frith  the  defence 

surmounted  all 
the  fort.  Soon 
igth  extricated 
iving  thus  lost, 
ymvestedwith- 
surronder.  He 
defenders  press- 
nstrated  that  he 
^rrison,  amount- 
of  war.  Th«j 
Jemians.  The 
if  the  island  of 

2  churches, 
New  York, 
eriod  of  his 
^he  annexed 


constitntion  of 
admitted  to  the 
the  committee 
tin,  he  was  the 
rious  important 
t  Franklin  and 
mnent  of  New 
[ndependence ; 
the  declaration. 
Pouglikeepsie, 
I  convention  to 
Hen  Broenk,  as 
mtion  of  New 
the  provisions 
[ay  3, 1777,  to 
n  consequence 

0  their  constit- 
tember,  he  was 
le  commission - 
peace  at  Paris, 
usly  appointed 
e  country,  the 
re  of  great  im- 
IS  between  the 
which  formed 

1  by  his  advice, 
convention  of 
ipointed  chief- 
ninister  pleni- 

Btill  goes  by 
!Q1.    The  ra^ 


\ 


366 


Port  ChetW,  on  the  west  side  of  Byram  river,  which  forms  the 
boundary  between  New  York  and  Connecticut,  is  a  village  containing 
3  churcheg  and  about  100  dwellings,  and  has  a  convenient  landing  for 
sloops  and  steamboats.  This  flourishing  village,  formerly  called  Saw- 
pits,  is  in  the  township  of  Rye,  in  which  is  situated  the  old  Jay  man- 
sion. The  village  of  New  Rochelle,  about  20  miles  from  New  York, 
IS  delightfully  situated  in  sight  of  the  sound,  has  about  100  dwellings 
a  number  of  fine  hotels  and  schools,  and  is  a  place  of  resort  during  the 
warm  season.  Yonkers,  on  the  Hudson,  17  miles  from  New  York, 
has  2  churches,  a  female  seminary,  and  about  60  dwellings.  The 
manor  of  Morrisiana,  originally  containing  about  3,000  acres,  belong- 
mg  to  the  distinguished  family  of  Morris,  is  in  the  township  of  West- 
chester, opposite  Hurl  Gate. 

"  GouvBRMEOii  MoR»»  WBS  bom  at  Morrisiana,  Jan.  31, 1752.  He  graduated  at  Kinin 
college.  New  York,  in  1768.  He  was  br  d  to  the  law,  in  which  he  obtained  a  gieat  repu- 
tation. In  1775,  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  provincial  congress  in  New  York.  In  1776, 
(Poo.,)  he  acted  as  one  of  the  committee  for  drafting  a  constitution  for  the  state  of  New 
York,  which  was  reported  in  March,  1777,  and  adopted  in  April  of  that  year,  after  re- 
peated and  very  able  debates.  He  was  employed  in  the  public  service  m  various  capaci- 
ties, during  the  revolutionary  contest,  in  all  of  which  he  displayed  great  zeal  and  ability. 
After  the  revolution,  he  retired  from  public  life,  and  passed  a  number  of  yeare  in  private 
pursuiU,  excepting  being  a  very  active  member  of  the  convention  which  framed  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  Statea  In  1792,  he  was  appointed  minister  to  France,  and  re- 
mained there  in  that  capacity  until  Oct.  1794.  He  returned  to  America  in  1798,  and  in 
1800  was  ohoMn  a  senator  from  Now  York.  In  the  summer  of  1810,  he  examined  the 
route  for  the  Erie  canal,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  originating  and  promoting  that 
°  »«  ^  ^'  *"*"*  **  Morrisiana,  Nov.  5,  1816.    He  passed  the  latter  years  of  his  life 

at  Morrisiana,  exercising  an  elegant  and  munificent  hospitality,  reviewing  the  studies  of 
hu  eariy  days,  and  carrying  on  a  very  interesting  correspondence  with  statesmen  and 
hterati  in  Europe  and  America.  The  activity  of  his  mind,  the  richness  of  his  fancy,  and 
the  copiousness  of  his  eloquent  conversation,  were  the  admiration  of  all  his  acquaintanoe ; 
and  he  was  univerully  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  most  accomplished  and  prominent  men  of 
our  country."  i 

I 


WYOMING  COUNTY.  \ 

Wyoming  county  was  formed  from  the  southern  portion  of  Gene- 
see county  in  1841 ;  length  E.  and  W.  25,  breadth  N.  and  S.  18 
miles ;  centrally  distant  from  New  York  325,  and  from  Albany  264 
miles.  The  surface  of  the  county  is  but  gently  undulating,  and  the 
general  character  of  the  soil  is  a  most  sandy  or  gravelly  loam,  well 
adapted  to  the  culture  of  ^rain  and  grass.  The  Genesee  river  touches 
the  southeastern  corner  in  the  town  of  Castile.  Allen's  creek,  so 
named  from  the  infamous  Indian  Allen,  who  committed  many  mur- 
ders on  the  frontier  inhabitants  in  this  region,  rises  in  this  county,  and 
flowing  northeasterly  through  a  portion  of  the  county  of  Genesee, 
empties  into  the  Genesee  river  in  the  to^aa  of  Wheatland,  Monroe 
county.  The  Holland  Land  Company,  to  whom  this  coiintiy  origmally 
belonged,  still  own  some  small  tracts^    It  is  divided  into  13  tovras  : 


^; 


366 


WYOMING   COUNTY. 


X 


Attica,  Covington, 

Bennington,  Gainesville, 

Castile,  Java, 

China,  Middlebury, 


Orangeville,      Wethersfield. 

Perry, 

Sheldon, 

Warsaw, 


The  annexed  engraving  is  a  view  in  the  central  portion  of  Perry 
village,  incorporated  in  1830,  and  situated  about  7  miles  E.  of  War- 
saw.   It  is  a  place  of  considei'ablc  mercantile  and  manufacturing  busi- 


,  South  view  in  Perry  village. 

ness,  and  contains  an  academy,  4  churches,  and  about  150  buildincs. 
It  IS  situated  on  the  outlet  of  Silver  lake,  which  is  a  beautiful  sheet 
ot  watej-  3  miles  m  length,  and  well  stocked  with  fish.  The  outlet 
funiishes  much  hydraulic  power  for  the  mills  and  factories  in  this  vi- 
cinity. Perry  Centre  is  much  smaller,  though  incorporated.  It  is 
situated  about  2  miles  to  the  north.  Attica,  incorporated  in  1837,  is  8 
miles  from  Warsaw,  has  about  100  dwellings,  2  churches,  a  bank,  and 
a  female  seminary  Wyoming,  14  miles  SE.  of  Batavia,  contains  3 
churches,  about  70  dwellings,  and  an  academy. 

The  village  of  Warsaw  is  situated  22  miles  S.  from  Batavia,  at  the 
head  of  "  Allen's  Creek  Valley,"  and  on  Allen's  creek,  nearly  equi- 
distant  from  Rochester,  Canandaigua,  Buffalo,  and  Clean.  By  the 
act  ot  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the  legislature,  the  courthouse, 
clerks  office,  and  jail  of  Wyoming  county  were  located  at  this  place, 
■y  ?',^S'*^-  ^^"^^^  ^^^  ^^^^  1  Presbyterian,  1  Baptist,  1  Method- 
ist, and  1  Congregational  church,  100  dyvellings,  1  printing  office,  1 
tannery,  6  niercantile  stores,  26  mechanical  shops,  2  iron  foundries,  2 
carding  works,  1  woollen  factory,  1  grist-mill,  and  about  800  inhabit- 
Mts.  The  town  was  settled  in  1801,  principally  by  emigrants  from 
INew  t^ngland  ;  and  its  present  inhabitants  are  noted  for  their  morality 
and  tondness  for  literature.  The  oldest  church  erected  in  the  state 
west^of  the  Genesee  river,  is  yet  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  village 


YATB8   COUNTY. 


a67 


srsfield. 


)n  of  Perry 
E.  of  War- 
turing  busi- 


>  buildings, 
itiful  sheet 
The  outlet 
in  this  vi- 
ted.  It  is 
1837,  is  8 
I  bank,  and 
contains  3 

via,  at  the 
sarly  equi- 
.  By  the 
ourthouse, 
this  place, 
1  Method- 
g  office,  1 
•undries,  2 
•0  inhabit- 
■ants  from 
ir  morality 
the  state 
the  village 


X, 


YATES  COUNTY. 


Yates  county  was  taken  from  Ontario  in  1823  ;  centrally  distant 
from  New  York  via  Albany  330,  and  from  Albany  185  miles ;  greatest 
length  E.  and  W.  24,  greatest  breadth  N.  and  S.  20  miles.  The  sur- 
tace  of  this  county  is  agreeably  diversified ;  the  northern  part  is  centlv 
undulating,  and  the  southern  hilly.  The  soil  is  in  many  places  com- 
posed of  a  warm  rich  mould,  yielding  abundant  crops,  though  as  a 
whole  It  IS  more  of  a  grazing  than  a  grain  country.  The  climate  is 
temperate,  and  for  the  cultivation  of  fruit  is  not  exceeded  by  any  por- 
tion of  the  state.  It  lies  wholly  in  the  tract  ceded  to  Massachusetts, 
and  in  that  portion  of  it  which  passed  through  Messrs.  Gorham,  Phelps, 
and  Robert  Morris  to  Sir  William  Pulteney.  It  is  divided  into  eight 
towns :  ° 

Barrington,  Italy,  Middlesex,  Potter, 

Benton,  Jerusalem,     Milo,  Starkey. 


Northeastern  view  of  Perm  Yan. 


\ 


The  thriving  incorporated  village  of  Penn  Yan,  the  county  seat, 
which  IS  principally  built  on  a  street  about  a  mile  in  length,  is  situated 
ai  the  northern  termination  of  the  eastern  arm  of  the  Crooked  Lake  It 
was  founded  by  Mr.  Abraham  Waggener,  and  derives  its  name  from 
the  circumstance  that  its  early  settlers  were  Pennsylvanians  and  Yan- 
kees,  m  nearly  equal  numbers.  The  annexed  view  was  taken  from  an 
eniinence  about  a  third  of  a  mile  east  of  the  village.  The  first  building 
with  a  steeple  on  the  right  is  the  Presbyterian  church,  the  one  next  on 
the  lett  with  a  cupola,  the  courthouse,  and  the  third  and  fourth,  the  Bap- 
tist and  Methodist  churches.  Crooked  or  Keuka  Lake  is  Dartiallv 
seen  m  the  disiance.    I'he  other  public  buildings  in  the  village  are  an 


^ 


868 


f 


V 


YATES   COUNTY. 


Episcopal  church,  an  academy,  ajprison,  a  bank,  and  the  county  clerk's 
o&ce.  The  place  is  one  of  much  business,  and  has  many  mercantile 
stores,  and  about  300  dwellings. 

Dundee  is  a  thriving  village  14  miles  S.  of  Penn  Yan ;  contains 
J  churches,  about  90  dwelhngs,  a  number  of  mills  and  factories. 
KushviUe  contams  about  80  dwellings,  2  churches,  and  a  number  of 
nulls. 

At  Bluff  Point,  in  the  town  of  Jerusalem,  in  this  county,  at  what  is 
generally  called  the  Friends  Settlement,  is  the  "Jemima  Wilkinson 
House,  which  IS  still  occupied  by  a  few  persons,  the  sole  remnant  of 
the  tollowers  of  this  singular  personage,  who  died  here  in  1819. 

nZi^l^"""  ^'l^cT^'oif  "•"  '  ^™'«"»>  J^"«»<>.'  wa-  bom  in  CamWland,  Rhode  Maud, 
about  the  year  175.S.  She  was  educated  among  the  Friend..  Recovering  irom  an  ap- 
parent  suspension  of  hfe  which  she  experienced  when  about  twenty-three  yearn  of  age, 
♦«T^  ^  of  sickness,  she  gave  out  that  she  had  been  raised  from  the  dead,  and  claimed 
to  be  .nvestod  with  divme  attributes  and  authority  to  instruct  mankind  in  Mtoion  It  fa 
■tao  said,  she  pretended  to  foretell  future  event.,  to  dfacem  the  secrets  of  the  h*art,  and  to 
n^f  L-iTT'  f.  healing  diseases;  and  if  any  person  who  made  application  to  her  was 
not  healed,  she  attributed  it  to  a  want  of  faith.  She  asserted  that  those  who  refused  to 
believe  these  exalted  things  concerning  her,  will  be  in  the  stato  of  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
who  rejected  the  counsel  of  God  against  themselves ;  and  she  told  her  hearers  that  that 
was  the  eleventh  hour,  and  the  last  call  of  mercy  that  ever  should  be  granted  to  them ; 
and  Jh«  «tH  r  """""^  !?  .''^ '"'°'  ""?'"«'  '  f*"  ''"'  r»  »»«>  ?«"»«'•'  t°  «  dying  world  ?^ 
lid  Sr^^ln  f*.'""''^''""''  ^T  r  ^-^"^  "•'  5'  "^  ""'t  "he  left  the  realms  of  light 
«hin„&!?  •  T'^F"^^  °'  '^  •'""""'y  '"'*'•'  *''"'  "«  continually  prafaing  and  wor- 
for'^^h-^i.       •'      "'f '  to  descend  upon  earth,  and  pass  through  many  si&orinM  and  trials 

iloL«fi"f,T  "^  T"'"'"*-  fu**"  P"'*""^*^  ^  ^  *"«  t"  ^"'"^  »'"«'««'.  «>d  offered  to 
demonstrate  it  by  walking  on  the  water  in  imitation  of  our  Saviour ;  accordingly  a 

W  ir!.-^'^''»u*"^n°L^'  P"?"*'  '"'  *'»•  ^"^  »f  t***  Seneca  Lake,  at  Rapelyea's 
Slilv^  ^tt*  I  ?"1f"  •  At  the  appointed  time,  having  approached  withiVa  few 
^^  rt  *^  '*''*  ahore.  she  alighted  from  an  elegant  caVriage,  the  load  being 
M^wed  by  herfollow«r.with  white  handkerchiefs.    She  walked  to  the  platformrand 

iiJ^J^tW  ^  n'^fK^^Kli  ^"^,5  "r'"f'y  P*""'««f'  *•  »'»<J"^  the  multitide,  in- 

2S^nri«il2Ii^.„ '^^  "**  /"***  *'"'*  *•  '^^^  P«  »^"'  ^  'f  otherwise  she  c^uld 
jo^  ami  OBieoenrrag  an  affirmative  amnrer  rattu-ned  to  her  cmWe,  declaring  as  they 
Miwred  u  hw  power  it  w«s  luuMoemuy  to  dii|riay  h."  "««i«nuK  •■  "wy 


\ 


•^ 


n:  contains 


\ 


APPEIDIX. 


-s(i^ 


HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS, 

Oft 

MISCELLANEOUS   ITEMS 

ULAinra  to  thi 

HISTORY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


1.  Expedition  of  the  French  against  the  Seneca  Indians. 

The  Genesee  in  the  early  French  histories  is  called  the  Seneca 
nver,  probably  from  the  circumstance  that  its  rich  valleys  were  studr 
ded  with  the  villages  of  the  Senecas.  This  tribe,  one  of  the  Five 
Nations,  was  on  terms  of  friendship  with  the  English,  while  the  Indi- 
ans of  the  upper  lakes  were  strongly  attached  to  the  French.  The 
subjects  of  these  rival  nations  were  exceedingly  jealous  of  each  other 
particulariy  with  respect  to  the  Indian  trade,  which  both  endeavored 
to  monopolize.  Hence  hostilities  between  these  parties  often  occur- 
red. In  1787,  Monsieur  De  la  Barre,  the  governor  of  Canada,  havinif 
made  an  unsuccessful  attempt  against  the  Five  Nations,  the  Marquis 
De  NonviUe,  his  successor,  resolved  to  retrieve  the  fallen  honor  of 
his  countrymen.  For  this  purpose  he  sent  messengers  to  the  triljes 
around  the  northern  lakes,  and  succeeded  in  collecting  a  considerable 
body  of  Indians  to  assist  him  in  his  enterprise  against  the  Senecas. 

••  Preparatorjr  to  this  expedition,  De  Nonville  collected  laige  luppliea  at  Cadanuskni,  fnow 
Kingston,)  in  anticipation  of  tlie  march  of  hit  troope,  and  the  Indians  fiom  the  neighbor, 
flood  of  Quebec,  to  that  poet.  The  advance  of  his  army,  consisting  of  two  or  three  hundred 
Canadians,  were  commanded  by  M.  Campagnie,  who  surprised  two  villages  of  the  Kve 
nations,  m  the  neighborhood  of  Cadarackui,  and  put  the  inhabitants  to  death  with  great 
cruelty,  to  prevent  them,  as  it  was  said,  from  conveying  intelligence  of  Ae  movementa  of 
the  trench  to  Aeir  own  people,  as  it  was  supposed  they  had  done  in  regard  to  the  last  ex. 
peditton  under  M.  De  la  Barre.  These  people,  however,  had  settled  there  at  the  invitation 
01  tlie  French,  and  anticipating  no  harm,  were  the  more  easily  surprised.  'Theywei* 
earned  m  cold  blood  to  the  fort,»  (says  Dr.  Golden,)  •  and  tied  to  stakes  to  be  tormented  bv 
tne  timcb  Indians,  (Christians  as  they  were  called,)  and  during  the  torttire  continued  ring 
mg  m  their  country  manner,  and  upbraiding  the  French  with  their  p«ifidy  and  iogratitad* ' 

47 


370 


BMTORIOAL  OOLLBOTIONB. 


**  •  •  I  .  Seven!  attempts  of  the  EagEsh  to  sow  diaaenaiona  among  the  upper  lake  IhdL 
ana,  and  divert  them  from  their  purpose,  having  proved  unavailing,  and  De  Nonville'a  pre. 
paratiom  for  the  eapedition  being  completed,  he  departed  from  Gadaraclcui  for  the  entrance 
of  the  Geneaeejriver  on  the  a3d  of  June,  1687,  embarking  hia  army  in  canoes,  and  sending 
one  half  thereof  along  the  northern  shore  of  the  lake,  while  he,  with  the  other  half,  paaied 

C«<J5?twise  by  the  southern  shore,  that  no  accidents  by  wind  might  altogether  defeat  the  ex. 
idinon.  So  punctually  were  the  arrangements  executed,  that  both  divisions  arrived  at 
ondequoit  on  the  same  day,  where  their  Indian  allies  appear  to  have  been  already  assem. 
bled.  Immediately  after  landing,  the  canoes  were  hauled  up,  and  a  military  defence  was 
constructed,  in  which  a  guard  of  four  hundred  men  was  left,  while  the  main  body  of  the 
forces  advanced  upon  the  principal  town  of  the  Senecas— 4e  site  of  which,  at  that  time- 
was  upon  the  Genesee  river,  within  the  territory  now  foming  the  town  of  Avon.  Before 
departing  from  Irondequoit,  however,  a  young  Canadian  Frenchman  was  shot  for  the  crime 
of  having  conducted  a  party  of  Englishmen  to  the  upper  lakes  The  chaige  was  that  of 
being  a  spy,  although  France  and  England  were  then  at  peace. 

"  During  the  march,  the  Indians,  led  by  a  party  of  Indian  traders,  formed  the  van,  while 
the  regular  troops  and  Canadian  militia  composed  the  main  body  of  the  forces.  They  ad. 
wnced  four  leagues  on  the  first  day,  without  discovering  an  enemy.  On  the  morning  of 
the  second,  scouts  were  despatched  in  advance,  who  approached  the  cornfields  of  the  vil. 
r^  without  making  any  discoveries— a  circumstance  not  very  creditable  to  the  sagacity 
of  De  Nonville's  Indians,  since  they  passed  within  pistol  shot  of  an  ambuscade  of  five  hun. 
dred  Senecas.  Suppowng  the  warriors  had  all  fled,  De  Nonville  pushed  rapidly  forward, 
for  the  purpose  at  least  of  coming  up  with  and  capturing  the  women,  children,  and  old  men. 
But  no  sooner  had  the  French  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  (a  short  distance  north  of  Com- 
stock's  hotel,  between  the  present  village  of  Avon  and  the  river,)  than  the  war-whoop  of 
the  ambuscade  rang  in  iheir  ears,  while  a  well-directed  volley  of  musketry  brought  many 
of  them  to  the  ground. 

"  The  surprise  was  complete,  and  the  panic  so  great  that  the  divisions  of  the  French 
separated  in  the  woods,  and  in  their  confusion  fired  upon  each  other.  Availing  themselves 
\  of  the  advantage,  the  Senecas  rushed  in  upon  their  foes  with  tomahawk  in  hand,  and  the 
\  battle  was  fierce  and  bloody  until  De  Nonville's  regulars  had  time  to  rally  and  move  again 
in  phalanx.  The  brave  Senecas  were  then  repulsed ;  but  it  was  an  empty  victory  to  De 
Nonville.  He  was  so  dispirited  by  the  surprise  he  had  met,  that  even  his  Indians  could  not 
persuade  him  to  a  pursuit  thpt  day.  On  the  following  day  he  marched  upon  the  villages 
with  a  view  of  burning  them ;  but  that  labor  had  been  performed  to  his  hands  by  the  Sene! 
cas  themselves.  Two  prisonere  only  were  made  by  the  invaders— old  men,  who  were  die. 
covered  in  the  castle— and  who  were  cut  to  pieces  and  boiled  into  soup  for  De  Nonville's 
albes.  The  invaders  remained  five  or  six  days,  travening  the  valley  of  the  river  for  a  few 
miles,  and  destroying  the  growing  com  in  the  fields.  They  then  returned  to  their  canoes, 
and  back  to  Canada— stopping  awhile  at  Niagara,  where  a  small  fort  was  erected,  in  which 
a  gjmson  was  left  of  one  hundred  men.  The  Indians  from  the  upper  lakes  were  gratified 
with  the  erection  of  this  post,  believing  that  it  would  be  of  essential  service  in  their  opera. 
toons  against  the  Five  Nations,  whom  De  Nonville  promised  yet  to  assist  them  in  subduing. 
But  that  promise  was  never  fiilfilled.  On  the  contrary,  the  fort  at  Niagara  was  so  closely 
invested  by  the  Five  Nations,  that  eighty-eight  of  the  hundred  died  of  hunger,  and  but  for 
ms  aid  of  a  party  of  French  Indians,  the  others  would  have  shared  the  same  fate.  The 
Five  Nations,  moreover,  afterward  carried  the  war  into  Canada,  even  to  Montreal  and  Que. 
bee.  The  loss  of  the  French,  killed  in  the  battle,  was  one  hundred  men  and  ten  Indiana. 
The  Senecas  had  about  eighty  warriors  slain.  In  the  course  of  the  expedition,  De  Non. 
ville  connived  to  make  thirteen  captiveB,  who  were  sent  to  France  as  trophies,  and  thenca 
as  slaves  to  the  galleys."* 


^ 


nmer  lake  IndL 
I  Nonville'i  pn. 
for  the  entrance 
MS,  and  sendinc 
iier  half,  paved 
ir  defeat  Uie  ex. 
iaiona  arrived  at 
1  already  asaem. 
try  defence  was 
ain  body  of  the 
:h,  at  that  time, 
Avon.  Before 
ot  for  the  crime 
rge  waa  that  of 

the  van,  while 
ces.  They  ad< 
he  morning  of 
ields  of  the  vil. 
to  the  sagacity 
Eule  of  five  hun> 
•apidly  forward, 
1,  and  old  men. 

north  of  Conu 
I  war.whoop  of 

brought  many 

I  of  the  French 
ling  themselves 
I  hand,  and  the 
ind  move  again 
y  victory  to  De 
dians  could  not 
m  the  villages. 
Is  by  the  Sene. 
who  were  dis. 
De  Nonville's 
river  for  a  few 
» their  canoes, 
icted,  in  which 
I  were  gratified 
in  their  opera, 
m  in  subduing, 
was  so  closely 
er,  and  but  for 
me  fate.  The 
itreai  and  Que. 
id  ten  Indians, 
ition,  De  Non. 
es,  and  thence 


BIBTOBIOAL  OOLLBOTIOHt, 


2.  Long  hland  Indians. 


871 


The  followinff  account  of  the  Indians  on  Long  Island*  is  taken 
from  "  Wood's  History  x>f  Long  Island,**  published  in  1828. 

"  When  the  first  aettlementa  were  made  on  the  island  by  the  Dutch  and  Englidi,  it  ap. 
pears,  from  the  original  Indian  deeds,  that  the  principal  tribes  that  occupied  it,  were  aa 
follows : — 

"  The  Canarse,  the  Rockaway,  the  Merikoke,  the  Marsapeague,  the  Secatague,  and  the 
Patchague,  on  the  south  side — the  Matinecoc,  the  Nissaquague,  the  Satauket,  and  the  Cor. 
chaug,  on  the  north  side ;  the  Shinecoc,  the  Manhanset,  and  the  Montauk,  bom  the  Canoe 
Place  on  Montauk  Point. 

"  The  Canarse  appears  to  have  been  the  only  tribe,  or  the  only  tribe  of  any  consequence, 
in  Kings  county.  This  tribe  claimed  the  chief  part  of  the  lands  in  Kings  county,  and  a 
part  of  the  lands  in  Jamaica. 

"  The  Rockaway  tribe  claimed  the  territory  around  Rockaw»y,  and  more  or  less  of  the 
lands  in  Newtown  and  Jamaica. 

"  The  Merikoke  and  Marsapeague  tribes  extended  froqt  Rockaway  through  Queena 
county  into  Suffolk,  on  the  south  side  of  the  island. 

"  The  territory  of  the  Matinecoc  tribe  extended  fivm  Flushing  through  Queens  countjr 
to  Fresh  Pcnd  in  Suffolk,  on  the  north  side. 

"  The  Nissaquague  tribe  extended  fi-om  Freeh  Pond  to  Stonybrook. 

"  The  Satauket  tribe  claimed  from  Stonybrook  to  the  Wading  river. 

"  The  Corchaug  tribe  extended  firom  die  Wading  river  through  South  Old  on  the  north 
side. 

"  The  territory  of  the  Manhanset  tribe  was  Shelter,Islai)^. 

"  The  territory  of  the  Secataug  tribe  adUoined  that  of  the  Marsapeaguee,  and  extended  to 
Patchogue. 

"  The  territory  of  the  Patchogue  tribe  extended  to  South  Hampton. 

"  The  Shinecoc  tribe  extended  from  the  Canoe  Point  to  Montauk,  and  that  peninsula 
was  the  seat  of  the  Montauk  tribe. 

"  There  are  one  or  two  other  tribes  named  in  the  old  records,  but  the  place  they  oqcu. 
pied  cannot  be  ascertained,  and  it  is  evident  from  that  circumstance,  that  they  must  heve 
been  very  small,  perhaps  the  mere  remnants  of  tribes  which  had  been  deatroyed  in  dieii 
wars. 

"  Those  above  enumerated  are  the  principal  tribes  that  occupied  the  island  whw  the 
English  and  Dutch  commenced  their  settlements  there,  and  the  original  purchases  of  the 
several  towns  were  made  of  these  tribes.  , 

"  The  Indian  settlements  were  all  on  the  bays,  creeks,  and  harbors  on  the  norfli  and 
south  sides  of  the  island,  and  their  territories  were  divided  from  each  other  by  the  ^ddle 
of  the  island. 

"  At  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  island,  the  whole  Indian  population  wa^  con. 
siderable,  but  by  no  means  as  great  as  the  facilities  of  subsistence  would  have  audiorittd  ua 
to  expect,  nor  as  great  aa  it  probably  had  formerly  been. 

"  The  shell  banks  which  indicate  die  sites  of  their  villages,  on  the  western  half  of  the 
island,  are  large  and  numerous,  and  beds  of  shells  of  some  size  or  other  are  found  at  mter. 
vals  of  a  few  r  ilea  all  around  the  margin  of  the  island.  From  these  it  woul !  aeem  that 
the  population  of  some  parts  of  the  island  was  once  very  numerous,  or  must  have  been  ata* 
tionary  there  a  long  time.* 

"  The  state  of  the  Indian  population  must  be  ascribed  to  their  perpetual  wars,  by  which 
tiiey  had  been  diminished. 

"  All  savage  nations  are  addicted  to  war.  The  causes  of  war  among  them  are  numerooa, 
and  the  mode  of  carrying  it  on  destructive  to  their  numbers. 


*  "  The  shell  banks  in  the  western  totvns  of  Suffolk  county  are  much  larger  and  mora 
numerous  than  in  the  eastern  towns,  where  shell  fish  are  as  abundant :  which  proves  that 
the  western  part  of  the  island  had  been  the  longest  setded,  and  that  the  Indian  emigration 
pnweeded  from  west  to  east." 


f 


872 


) 

HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS. 


Isli»d!'LT&T''  °^  *^  *"'?  ^u"'^"""  "^""'^'"^  *"■■  """I"*"""  "  f"  '°^^  »  Manhattan 
Si  '^^'^  "''"  *°  '*'''  ''"'  ""'*  °f  ^°»«  ^''^''.  -""l  subdued  to6  CanaS 

lilMd''S^  C.^«^f  Sh/^TfK  *M  ?"";''•  *"  **  *"  **"«  °f  '^^  fi"«  aettlement  of  the 

nrjlr^tJSKt^rjr""  =■«■•■«'  *«"y'  -»»•.«'.  -k?^^.- 

blldT.T.""'"".'"!?!*"'  *■' ""  «™'>°"'  "f""  Moluwk.  eBMHi.d  to  Ihe  who]. 
£  4.t  M  otwT?™'  "'  *'.C.n™.  M™.    Thi.  mvh.„lS.rXS  »Z 

afdr?r;o?trhKt,„*s'.So'ti:5!^  •  """"^  '-*'••  "■•°  -^^  ^ - 
£ol?^SS'.l;r£KSt'or..*£:s.'^SX"t.°"^^^^^^ 

th.t h.  j^fied  hi,  ou™ h.fo«  ,h. ....n,oTK»Sl ta  riL rf. K, .L"SS 

».«irw1„"Sio'.rt';1^.'th."7.SLT.r.t.'t^^^^ 

sachem  of  the  tribe  of  whom  the  land  was  purchased.  ^  '  "  "  ^^  t"" 

.«  J     confirmation  deed  of  Hempstead  in  1657,  the  deed  for  Lloyd's  neck  and  othen, 

\  r  srhrtf'Lrg  st*  *"'  "^  ""^  °'  *^  ^^-^  ^-•^  •^^  MVtaX  k  I'S^j 

1644.  they  apphed  to  the  commissionen,  for  some  evidence  of  their  relation  to?h«m  «nH 

"ITti^lSSr^^^^^ 

Se^ueTn'^TT.''"*?"^'"^]^'"*'''  '°  ^""g  ^l^nd  toretuTeSaJ^emof  the 
inqlifeSShe^hTdZ'lath'^T?'*.*'^^^  "'  Bo-ton.  and  in  answer  to  :m 

.u.^a  m  con«deratio«  of  hi.  distressed  condition  by  the  late  "waTin  wfihe  ha7be« 


nyofthenttirM 

tn  aa  Manhattan 
ed  the  Canarse 

ittlement  of  the 

ind  dried  clama, 

'bites,  in  cunae. 

tnbe,  except  a 

ed  to  the  whole 
conqueat  never 
en  owing  to  the 
ell  known  that 
iolation  of  their 
n  they  had  not 

id,  had  overrun 
1  them  to  some 
ontauk  sachem 
md  it  is  stated 
ler  conqueat  of 
of  Smithtown, 

8,  that  the  first 

well  as  by  the 
« 

ck,  and  others, 
.  chief  is  styled 

)f  the  country, 
d  by  the  com. 
<f  records,  that 
nd  sachem  of 
Snised  or  con- 

who  occupied 
ticut,  had  sub. 
settlement  of 
nd  paid  them 
>e  tribes  that 
1  the  tribes  on 

9  the  murders 
subdued  and 
)  the  Pequote, 
nlhrop,  in  his 
I  Long  Island 
ch  of  them.' 
jection  to  the 
Pequots.    In 
to  them,  and 
liem  security 
time  they  as. 
since  the  Pe. 
I  friendly  to 
leir  fate.    In 
ment  of  the 
e  punctually 

inswer  to  an 
t  at  Hartford 
5!ch  ikwf  rs- 
le  had  been 


INDIAN  WORSHIP. 

Led  on  by  their  Priests  or  Powauia  they  shouted  and  danced  around  a  large 
tire,  in  a  wild  and  fantastic  manner,  often  sacrificing  their  most  valuable 
treasures  by  throwing  them  into  the  fire. 


\, 


UMTOBIOAL  OOLLIOTIOKI. 


878 

on  the  Long  I^d  ludUn.J'w^iihWdl^^eTar'r^^^^ 

IX'  ft.^;Kt';''  territory  of  the  Montauka'iS^Ti'S^vTelcUV^Hdff^^^^^ 
Uifte,  If  tney  had  not  found  protect  on  in  the  humanity  of  the  n«onl«  «/ 3..In!_.  7 
"Thev  were  obliged  to  alimdoo  their  viCeT^d  to  flee  fJ?Te?ul?tf^^ 


8. 


Conference  at  Unadilla  between  Oen.  Herkimer  and  Brant 


In  July,  1777,  a  conference  was  held  in  this  place  between  Gen 
Herkimer  and  Joseph  Brant,  the  celebrated  Indian  chieftain,  who 
comp^amed  of  being  threatened  by  Gen.  Schuyler;  and  also, That 
^^   fc^'^Tl^f  ,r^^"^'  liberty  to  pass  and  repass  as  formerly 
^Js'omyln  c^^?;'"«  '"'""^  '-'^'  "^^^^«  ''  ^'^^'^  '^  '^'  ^^' 

n,iirTet"a.tArhr 

f  rrfhrr"  "  '•'"^ri  t'^-  .  "T"  '^^  I"""""  whether  he  woTld  Sin  af  pe^l 
f  these  Uiings  were  rectified,  he  replied ;  •  The  Indians  were  in  concert  wiA  the  kinrM 
S,T.f  "  '^  8"'5«','?i'>eni  had  been.  That  the  king'a  bolta  were  ye  lodged  with  thC 
Bl?„'L'**f  ""•  ^f'i^y-  *u*."  P'«d«e-That  Gen.  Herkimer  and  the  re.t  had  t  ned  the' 
numwe  them— That  Mr.  Schuyler,  or  General,  or  what  you  pleaae  to  call  him  was  verv 
S  ?h  '^^  .i"'*"™,!"  '*'«  ";«''»J'  »'  German  Flat.;  but  waa  not  at  the  aamnmr^hle  to 
ff  wh  teTeol«'"li""'V/"'*''5  °^  '='°'W"«-Th«t  the  Indiana  had  Tormerly  made  war  on 
"After  Cnl  hJlT'f^  \^u^  IJ""*  '^f^  ^"^  '*'"'*«''•  *«  ^"'l*'""'  *«'«  "»«  frightened/ 
«iHlr..  ?  u-^  '^**''.'"^'*  •"?  determmation  to  eapouae  the  cause  of  the  king.  Col.  Coi 
Zi  ih„  !,*"?  ?"  '!.''°'""°"  *^.«  "•""  *"»  «"'««'>•  Brant  turned  and  apoke  to  hSw^! 
H'fil^  ''°"'*K  '"r^  ""  *°  *"''  <"^P  "»><"»'  *  ™'«  distant,  when  seizing  their  a^ 
tlJ  t  ■  ?i""''S  °[.«"°"'  ""*  "^'^'^  ""  '"<!'«  war.whoop.  They  re  ufned  ^ZS 
S;„-J?  ?"V  ?'*•"""  addreo-ing  Brant,  told  him  he  ha§  not  come  t"Sht.  B^t 
h«  «i  I  V?».  •■  *°"°*^«"'  ♦"  «""""  >n  their  places.  Then  assuming  a  tlireatening  attitude, 
fi^»l,;  A**"-  '^'"^"••'  '""  ^"J'  ^5  l^"^  '"dy  for  them.  He  then  proposed  that  Mr! 
.nnT-'ir  "Tn"?"^  ^'"''^  ''J^  Mohawks,  (who  was  supposed  friendly  to  the  English,) 
hSi  fcaTtie!  "•  permitted  to  pass  from  the  lower  to  the  np,«J  Sfo. 

nnl^k"™"*^^^""  """'fid,  but  demanded  that  the  tones  and  deserten  should  be  given 
wolT^'.  }^  "^^  refused  by  Brant,  who  after  some  further  remarks,  added  that  he 
woula  go  to  Oswego,  and  hold  a  treaty  with  Col.  Butler.  This  singular  conference  wM 
singularly  temjmated.  It  was  early  in  July,  and  the  ava  shone  forth  without  a  cloud  ttt 
w.ZV«hu""i  "  '1  "y  P.'ded  the  tops  of  the  forest  trees,  or  were  reflected  from  the 
m,^?  A  A  °'J81"ehannah,  imparted  a  rich  tint  to  the  v/ild  scenery  with  which  they  were 
r^  Ki  1"  ^i'*'  '•''■"  °^  ^^  war-whoop  had  scarcely  died  away  before  the  heavens  be- 
came  black,  and  a  violent  storm  of  hail  and  rain  obliged  each  party  to  withdraw  and  seek 
tne  nearest  shelter.    Men  less  superstitious  than  many  of  the  unlettered  yeomen  who.  lean- 

'r,S»?rk  ."?"•■  T^l"*''"®"^"  °^''»*  «^*'"*»  "f  *"•  d»y.  could  not  have  failed  in  after 
'A^TAf^  looked  back  upon  them,  if  not  as  an  omen,  at  least  aa  an  emblem  of  those 

dreadlu  massacres  with  which  these  Indians  and  their  associates  afterward  visited  the  in- 
nabitanta  of  this  unfortunate  frontier. 

hnA^J^  Herkimer  appears  to  have  been  unwiUing  to  urge  matters  to  extreme,  though  he 
had  sufficient  power  to  have  defeated  the  Indians.    He  no  doubt  entertained  hopei  that 

«  Tt"'"u  .  """ff^'nen'  ^o^'d  eventuaUy  be  made  with  them, 
exceot  ih«  nni^*"*'"   k'^'u  '*«"'"»''«  '"»'  conference  held  with  any  of  the  Six  Nations, 
MMpt  the  Oneidas,  in  which  an  efibrt  was  made  to  prevent  the  Indians  engaging  in  the 


/ 


874 


HMTOftlOAL  OOLLIOTIOm. 


4.  Indian  Sacrifice  at  Rochester,  1818. 

No  longer  ago  than  1813,  pagan  rites  were  performed  on  the  spot 
Where  so  many  Christian  temples  have  been  since  erected.  The  fol- 
gwing  account  of  the  last  sacrifice  of  the  Senecas,  near  where  the 
Bethel  church  now  stands,  is  from  Mr.  O'Reilly's  History. 

Uvl'L^y  ^  P'*"^i  th«t  th«  Senecu.  and  probably  othen  of  the  Six  NaUoni,  hava 
nye  leuti  annually;  on  which  occaaiona  it ia  cuatomary  to  return  thanka  to  Nauwanew  for 
BM  pleMinga,  or  to  deprecate  his  wrath.  At  these  tiinea  alao  the  chiefa  conveiaed  upon  the 
anajra  ot  the  tnbea.  and  generally  urged  upon  the  people  the  duty  of  demeaning  themaeWea 
^"Jt*^  Vk""" r""""',  n  **•«  '•r'  *hich  had  attended  them  in  their  pursuita  of 
wi?K  ™LT"'.  .T  ("T  '"""^•d  «he  conaummation  of  the  mattera  uaually  watched 
..u«r.^- "!"".!.''  ^"'>"»n?">.P«'«ceful  timea-^ne  of  the  ceremoniea  occurring  after 
fir^h™  i  «??•""■  *^''i  P^""!)«'  »  "?"^  ""«««  ^^  «reon.corn  faaat,  when  the  nmi.e 
first  becomea  fit  for  uae ;  the  fourtj,  aAer  the  com.harveat  j  and  the  fifth  at  the  close  of  their 
'^  «  Jr?    1*"  •'■"""y  *•'■  ^■'■'y  »"  February,  according  to  the  moon. 

The  latter  ceremonial  waa  performed  for  the  laat  Ume  in  Rochester  in  January.  1813. 
pilfJ^M  pi"*,  "a'  '*"'  •"*"  ^y  •*""*  °f  '•"'  ^"^  Pe™""'  'hen  aetUed  in  'these  parte.' 
«1T.„  ""k^  "  Scrantom,  now  a  merchant  of  the  city,  who  waa  among  the  spectatoia, 
we  have  had  an  account  of  the  ceremonial,  as  far  aa  he  behold  it,  which  corresponds  with 

?„/h„T"^X';"  ^  **"■  ?r  M'-KirWand.  long  a  mi«iionary  among  the  Six  Nations, 
«id  by  the  White  Woman  •  that  remarkable  associate  of  the  Senecas.  The  latter  pcmon! 
ago  related,  thot  when  the  Indians  returned  from  hunting,  ten  or  twenty  oftheir  number 
™^!r.'.f.h"'  "mT""'""**  I*""  8!«'"*«»"ifice  and  thankagiving.'  Preparationa  were 
3^ .?!  V     council-houae  or  other  place  of  meeting  for  the  accommodation  of  the  tribe 

wr„W.^*'*'7T""'-.  ^'""  '^7f  *^  '>"  P"""**'  »"•*  **°  '*•"'«  «*»«•  *«  number  and 
I^r«„i!^  T  f  "^^"^^  '''V"^'^  ^-^  *«/'""'^'^  i  though  in  theae  latter  days  of  reform  and 
retrenchment  (for  the  provaihng  apint  had  reached  even  the  wigwama  and  the  altars  of  the 

«?r!l!  ..  .1!''"''  •""  •'"u"  "V'l^i »«  wven  «"■  five  days,  and  a  single  dog  waa  made  the 
scapegoat  to  bear  away  the  sins  of  die  tribe  !     Two  dogs,  aa  nearly  white  L  could  be  pr.^ 

T,aL^  7.^""^^^  '..'f  ""•  ^1°""  '*•"••'  belonging  to  the  tribe,  and  were  carefully  killed  at 
!S.^^  „f  Ki^n^""""'!':;  °"^  ^l  *"■""'  °i  «'ran«ul«tion ;  for  a  wound  on  the  animal  or  an 
eRUHon  of  blood  would  apoil  the  victim  for  the  sacrificial  purpoao.    The  dogs  were  then 

S^emvSh^lfAK'"*  ""^T  "°'*""'  *'*"'?""•"'  ^'"'  '^'"her.,  and  susj^nded  about 
twenty  feet  high  at  the  council-houae  or  near  the  centre  of  the  camp.    The  ceremonial  is 

.^^!  /jT*""  '  ""*  n"  ''?•  ■*"'*'.!i'  "^  "'"«  ''"y  *»'■''«  continuance  are  marked  by  feasu 
1%  .  °»ncing,  aa  weU  aa  by  eacnfice  and  conaultation.  Two  select  bands,  one  of  men 
Si  »„°«.1'«/  women,  ornamented  with  trinkets  and  featheta,  and  each  peraon  furnished 

kU.Hl!?r„^.t  ™  "?  *"  "?•"  ^r*^'  ^'"'*=''  •"  "  *='''='«  "°"nd  the  council-fire,  which  ia 
badled  for  the  occasion,  and  regulate  their  steps  by  rude  music.  Hence  they  proceed  to 
every  wigwam  in  the  camp ;  and,  in  like  manner,  dance  in  a  circle  around  each  fire.  Af. 
torward,  on  anoUier  day,  several  men  clothe  themselves  in  the  skins  of  wild  beaata.  cover 
their  faces  with  hideous  maaks  and  their  .hands  with  the  shell  of  the  tortoise,  and  in  this 
S!f.J^n^  fi?  '""°K*  ^^^  7*r*™,!  '"«*ing  horrid  noises,  taking  the  fuel  from  the  fire,  and 
■cattenng  the  embera  and  aahea  about  the  floor,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  away  evil  spirits. 
1  he  persons  performing  these  operations  are  supposed  not  only  to  drive  off"  the  evil  spirit, 
but  to  concentrate  withm  themselves  all  the  aina  of  their  tribe.    These  sins  are  afterward 

h.„?TT  ff  If "1?^  ^t"  "''u  "r^";  ^^°'  '•y  ■«•"«  "'"e'cal  dexterity  or  sleighuof. 
Hand,  woriw  off  fitimhiraaelf  into  the  dogs  the  concentrated  wickedness  of  the  tribe!  The 
■capegoat  doga  are  then  placed  on  a  pile  of  wood,  to  which  fire  is  appUed,  while  the  sur. 
rounding  crowd  throw  tobacco  or  other  incense  upon  the  flame,  the  scent  of  which  ia 
deemed  to  cooperate  with  the  sacrifice  of  the  animala  in  conciUating  the  favor  of  Nauwa. 
new  or  the  Great  Spint.  When  the  dogs  are  parUy  consumed,  one  ia  taken  off  and  put 
into  a  large  kettle  with  vegetable*  of  various  kinds,  and  all  around  devour  the  contenta  of 
the  reeking  caldron.'  After  this  the  Indians  perform  the  dancea  of  war  and  peace,  and 
■moke  the  calumet :  then,  fi-ee  from  vrtckedneaa,  they  repair  to  their  respective  places  of 
■bode,  prepared  for  the  events  of  the  new  year."  r  r 


UMTOklOAL  COI.LIOTIONM. 


875 


5.  An  Account  of  the  Indian  Chiefs,  ComplanUr  and  Big  Kettle. 

At  the  mouth  of  Cold  Spring  creek,  entering  the  Allegany, 
is  an  "Indian  village  called  Tunes-assah ;  the  reservation,  one  mile 
in  width  along  the  river,  extend*  Bome  miles  above  and  several  bo- 
low  this  point  into  Pennsylvania ;  this  remnant  lately  had  at  its  head 
the  celebrated  chief  Complanter,  who  died  early  m  the  year  1836 
aged  about  100  years.  Some  of  the  tribe  are  wealthy ;  have  largo 
stocks  of  cattle,  and  some  suw-iiiills.  Much  is  due  for  the  improve- 
ment of  their  condition  to  the  judicious  efforts  of  the  society  of 
'  Friends,'  of  Philadelphia,  who  have  long  maintained  instructors 
among  them,  teaching  the  primitive  arts  of  civilization,  and  who 
have  a  settlement  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town."  Some  of  the 
last  of  the  Indian  prophets  incorporated  a  part  of  the  tenets  of  Chris- 
tianity  into  their  pagan  system.  A  few  years  since,  a  portion'  of  the 
Indians  in  this  town  were  in  the  practice  of  collecting  arouna  ■*  log 
about  30  feet  long,  worked  into  a  resemblance  of  the  human  form,  'o 
which  they  performed  a  kind  of  worship.  The  son  of  Complanter 
subsequently  persuaded  them  to  throw  it  into  the  river. 

Complanter,  the  chief  above-mentioned,  it  appears,  was  fhe  son  of 
a  white  man,  who  liv<id  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Plank ;  his  mother  was 
a  young  woman  of  the  Seneca  tribe.  The  Senoca  Indians,  during 
the  revolutionary  war,  were  led  on  against  the  Americans  in  the  Mo- 
hawk valley,  by  Complanter,  who,  in  one  of  his  incursions,  took  hii 
father  prisoner.  He  however  treated  him  well,  and  released  him 
from  confinement.  In  a  letter  written  by  Complanter  to  the  govern- 
or of  Pennsylvania  in  1822,  complaining  of  the  attempt  to  impose 
taxes  upon  him  and  the  Senecas  residing  on  the  Allegany,  he  beaan 
as  follows:  •  o    j  ^ 

"  When  I  was  a  child,  I  played  with  the  butterfly,  the  grasshopper,  and  the  frogs.  As  I 
grew  up,  I  began  to  pay  some  attention,  and  play  with  the  Indian  boys  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  they  took  notice  of  my  skin  being  a  different  color  from  theirs,  and  spoke  about  it  I 
inquired  of  my  mother  the  cause,  and  she  told  me  that  my  father  was  a  resident  of  Albany. 
I  ate  still  my  victuals  out  of  a  bark  dish :  I  grew  up  to  be  a  young  man,  and  married  me  a 
wife,  but  I  had  no  kettle  or  gun.  I  then  knew  where  my  father  lived,  and  went  to  tea 
him,  and  found  he  was  a  white  man  and  spoke  the  English  language.  He  gave  me  victual! 
while  I  was  at  his  house,  but  when  I  started  to  return  home  he  gave  me  no  provision  to  eat 
on  the  way.  He  gave  me  neither  kettle  nor  gun,  neither  did  he  tell  me  that  the  United 
States  were  about  to  rebel  against  the  government  of  England,"  &c.  &c. 

"Complanter  lived  to  a  great  age,  having  deceased  within  the  last  eight  or  ten  yean. 
He  was  an  able  man,  distinguished  in  subsequent  negotiations.  He  was  eloquent,  and  a 
ptM  advocate  for  temperance.  He  made  a  very  effective  and  characteristic  speech  upon 
that  subject  in  1823.  •  The  Great  Spirit  first  made  the  world,  and  next  tho  flying  animals, 
•nd  found  all  things  good  and  prosperous.  He  is  immortal  and  everiasting.  After  finish, 
ing  the  flying  animals,  he  came  down  upon  the  earth  and  there  stood.  Then  he  made  3ifl 
ferent  kinds  of  trees,  and  woods  of  all  sorts,  and  people  of  every  kind.  He  made  the 
«pnng  and  other  seasons,  and  the  weather  suitable  for  planting.  Those  he  did  make.  But 
**«««,  to  mak«  whiskey  to  give  to  Indians,  he  did  not  make.'  •  •  •  •  •  The  Great 
Spirit  told  us  that  there  were  three  things  for  people  to  attend  to.  Fu»t,  we  ought  to  UJte 
care  of  our  wives  and  children.  Secondly,  the  white  people  ought  to  attend  to  their  farms 
•nd  cattle.  Thifd.^,  the  Great  Spirit  has  given  the  bears  and  deeia  to  the  Indians.'  •  «  • 
•—  r-yttf  uos  viuCTou  luc  tu  mui  iuutiuiiji-    as  wisacs  ms  w  imonQ  tos  MOsi# 


376 


BIBTOUOAL  COLLECTIONS. 


that  thejr  should  quit  diinkuig  intoxicating  drink.'  In  the  couiBe  of  the  same  speech,  hs 
gaye  eridence  that  he  was  not  ovennuch  pleased  with  the  admixture  of  his  own  blood. 
•  •  •  •  The  different  kinds  the  Great  Spirit  made  separate,  and  not  to  mix  with  and 
disturb  each  other.    But  the  white  people  have  broken  this  command,  by  mixing  their 

color  with  the  Indians.    The  Indians  have  done  better  by  not  doing  so.' " SUm^t  Life 

Iff  Brimt. 

Oanothjotvaneh,  a  distinguished  chief  of  the  Seneca  tribe,  was,  it 
is  said,  a  superior  orator  to  Red  Jacket  He  was  called  by  the 
whites,  Big  Kettle,  that  beine  the  signification  of  his  Indian  name.  It 
is  stated  that  he  never  tasted  ardent  spirits,  and  opposed  the  practice 
among  the  Indians,  and  suffered  some  persecutions  on  this  account. 
During  the  early  period  of  his  life,  he  was  opposed  to  the  introduction 
of  Christianity,  but  latterly  was  rather  in  favor  of  it.  Mr.  Wright, 
the  missionary,  now  living  among  the  Senecas,  near  Buffalo,  attempt- 
ed to  persuade  him  to  embrace  the  Christian  religion.  When  told 
that  tie  was  a  smner  in  the  sight  of  God,  Big  Ketfle  appeared  to  be 
somewhat  surprised ;  throwing  himself  in  an  oratorical  attitude,  he 
recounted  a  long  list  of  his  good  deeds,  and  endeavored  to  make  it 
appear  that  he  was  not  a  sinner.  He  once  came  to  Mr.  Wright,  and 
asked  him  the  question, "  Does  Grod  overrule  all  things  ?"  "  Certainly," 
replied  Mr.  Wright.  "  I  tell  my  people  so,  in  council,"  replied  Big 
Kettle ;  "  but  when  I  am  alone,  and  think  how  much  iniquity  is  prac- 
tised by  the  white  people  in  gettmg  away  our  lands,  &c.,  and  how  they 
go  on  without  being  punished,  I  have  my  doubts."  He  said  that  the 
ppjaching  of  the  missionaries  was  good,  and  that  the  Indians  would 
listen  to,  and  follow  it,  but  he  said  it  would  be  useless :  the  bad  habits 
of  his  people  were  so  strong,  the  attempt  to  break  them  up  would  be 
as  idle  as  to  "  stop  the  wind  from  blowing  down  Lake  Ene." 


i 


6.  First  settlers  of  Greene,  Chenango  Co. — Indian  Relics,  ^. 


^he  first  white  inhabitants  who'  located  themselves  on  the  site  of 
the  village,  were  eight  or  ten  French  families,  who  fled  from  their 
country  during  the  revolutionary  period.  The  first  one  who  came 
appears  to  have  been  Simon  Bamet,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a 
Creole  from  the  West  Indies.  He  came  to  this  place  from  Philadel- 
phia, probably  sent  as  a  pioneer  for  the  French  company.  Ooe  of 
the  emigrants,  M.  Dutremont,  was  a  man  of  considerable  talents, 
learning,  and  wealth.  This  gentleman  contracted  for  the  lands  settled 
by  the  company.  The  purchase  was  made  of  William  W.  Morris 
and  Malachi  Treat,  the  patentees.  CapL  Juliand,  one  of  the  French 
emigrants,  came  into  the  place  in  1797,  a  little  after  the  first  company. 
About  the  year  1795,  the  celebrated  French  statesman,  Talleyrand, 
visited  this  place,  when  on  a  sylvan  jaunt  on  horseback  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Albany  in  company  with  a  French  gentleman.  When  here, 
he  became  acquainted  with  flie  son  of  M.  Dutremont,  with  whom  he 
was  so  much  pleased,  that  he  obtained  the  consent  of  his  parents  to 
take  bim  to  France,  where  he  became  his  private  secretary.    Bv  the 


^ 


mme  tpeech,hs 
:  his  own  blood, 
to  mix  with  and 
by  mixing  their 
"—Stim^t  Life 

tribe,  was,  it 
ailed  by  the 
m  name.  It 
the  practice 
his  account, 
introduction 
IVIr.  Wright, 
alo,  attempt- 
When  told 
peared  to  be 
attitude,  he 
I  to  make  it 
Wright,  and 
"Certainly," 
'  replied  Big 
uity  is  prac- 
nd  how  they 
said  that  the 
dians  would 
e  bad  habits 
jp  would  be 
rie." 


elics,  ^. 

a  the  site  of 
1  from  their 
3  who  came 
ave  been  a 
»m  Philadel- 
ly.  One  of 
ible  talents, 
ands  settled 
W.  Morris 
the  French 
st  company. 
Talleyrand, 
from  Phila- 
When  here, 
;h  whom  he 
3  parents  to 
ry.    By  the 


HIBTOtlOAL  OOLLBOTIONSA  877 

Sdl^g?d"nr^afdrt^^^^  1-  ^^  ««'«  -'-y  ^ 

back,  on  his  way  to  PWadelX  aT^k  ^  f  ^'"^  *  ^J^'' «°  *»«n^ 
occupied  by  U^Cigrait.  ifc^^^  t  ^?  T  ^^  ^°'  ^^  ^^^ 
emigrants  BecamnCaffed  a?d  i^^^^  ^^  patentees.    The 

There  are  now  to  be  Been  only  ^mTiZtlf^f .»  °  "^  J^d''"  "upenitition  and  induat^r. 
miJea  aouth  of  the  viUaae.  and  aCT  ih^t  ^  traces  of  it.  It  waa  situated  about  two 
farm  of  Mr.  Lott.  TKmo^nd  tereSjdt^'"  *"  "ver  bank,  on  what  is  now^he 
seven  feet  above  the  surfwe  !f 'the  wound  .Jn^f  TV'  "  °"?H  °^«''  ^««  »»«'"* «  or 
cular.  There  waa  al.oTtrwlMrm«  at  n!L'".'"""?'"J  being  nearly  cir! 
remains  of  a  large  pino.tree  which  wm  standhi.  S  T^  T^^  "» ^^^.  •'«""«  "^  '^  ^ 
however,  a  dead  tree.  When  t  was  ^ut  H,?wn^.i,  ^"  ^^  '^^'^ «"""«  '"•  I'  ^m  <*««. 
or  yearly  growths.  EstinSg  7h"  2  of  The  mounnrr''*^  ^®"  *'°"''«"'"'=  <^^ 
stump,  it  must  have  been  over  800  veai  dIH  wtJ^T  ^-  *°  5°°"ntnc  circles  of  the 
An  examination  of  this  mound  WSeS  TSm  W  T'-"  °^  ^^e  country  was  settled, 
nuu,  bones  to  a  great  number;  an"  Kr  from  th^  L^^^f^  ""^  there  were  found  hu. 
had  been  evidently  burnt;  nmaminaZ  jh™  .Zf^u^"' ^^^'I-  ^^'^  ^""^^  ^ones  that 
when  these  bones  were  depSSd!  was  Aui;  %f  ^^T^I  of  disposing  of  the  dead, 
formed  as  to  the  number  StSleb^rMhefe  Tht  wf?f ^f  No  conjecture  could  be 
very  mnch  jumhUd,  and  so  for  decaved  m  .Tr-'r,  Jk.  '^  /f.  ^^"^^  'J^"«  ^*°"t  order, 
air  and  handled.  The  supposkion  would  S^t  be  aT^^Jfe  J  ^'^  "^u"^  r^""  ''""«''*  ^  the 
remains  of  bodies  which  EalTcnTn  batr^fd  w«r«^f  '^ ""!.'  ^"^^^  ^""^^  ^«'«  Ae 
and  buried.    •  •  •  «  in  th7rn„,.„^         vl  '  ^°  '^^^  afterward  hurried  y  thrown  toeether 

200  a;f?;heads,  cut  IfthZM.LilZ^i  '^T  ^"*  ^"'^'  'y'"«  '''^»«  i"  «"«  pt; 
recollected  that  'there  are  no  'stone,  SCkind  found"  „^1-^  "  •"%'''l?^"'-  ''  ^^  •^ 
York.  In  another  part  of  the  mound  th«r«  «^1«  /Tt  ^-  **^  P"'  "^  *^e  "^ato  of  New 
after  the  same  form.  A  silver  band  o^  ring  w«  Zfotf  7'^''*  about  sixty,  made 
ameter,  extremely  thin,  but  wide  with  th«  fZ^nT?  ^'  °^  "'"*"*  *^°  inches  in  di- 
within  it.  The  mppos  tion  b  thar it  w«!  remam^-m  appearanc^-of  a  reed  pipe,  lyiSg 
also  found  a  number  of  ,Si?chKsord^ff«rn!  T  °^  '»H«,«=»1  instrument.  &  VS 
ent  species  of  work.  A  kree  Se^?nf  mi«  ^  '^''^■'"''  ''I'^V'^y  fitted  to  perform  difier. 
much  decayed,  and  the^feTu^S.^' fe^^^^^^^^  '  ^  ^^r 

r  Destruction  at  the  German  Flats  by  the  Tories  and  Indians  in  1778. 

nultred^^'Keulg^ES'JiJ^^^^  ?»  *e  south  side  of  the  river 

together  with  as  S  bZS,  -nH  «.k     *^T  m^^?"'  ""  *''""*  ""'"ber  upon  the  north  side. 

forthe„u„berThXs!^Sis„ll'v!.%W!r^'^^  '^'  P°P"><'"°t 

had  that  year  broughrforth  SEfiZ*  J^uJ'^i^'u''^  ^^  "''^«'  '^^  ^«»  cultivated 
products.  ^  "'^  nandfuls  j  so  that  the  bams  were  amply  stored  with  their 

WM  lLKitot|hriSditel*!r'rt"  ?*  "??.*  «f  September,  that  this  fine  district 
the  mvasion  waS  « Jnded  with  S  ll  ofT,?  ''^?""*■  **°«'  Providentially,  however 
"wd another,  named  McOinTi?Mrisrd?n.Sfl''^°'''^'Sr"'  '?•'"  •*«'"»  tiUed  outright 
tion  were  these  :-Elr"iniS  E  sinltn.^  b*  ?\P'^i«"l'«  of  this  hostile  ii^^pl 
four  men  had  been  deev-ZhXt^ ihT!^-^  f  ®l*"''  ^^°  *"  *'  UnadiUa,  a  scout  of 
kiUed  at  the  Edme.l^1?S™  tL  Slh  U'TS",**""-  Three  of  tnes;  men  were 
eacape,  and  returned  to  th«  JT.f.  -♦  um  T™' John  Helmer,  succeeding  in  making  his 
that  Brant,  wid,  Tlarge  body  oflndiat^J'.T  ''"'^  '"";'^*'*'?'  ■''"'  ^  ^« «°  "^"^ 

them.    AU  was,  of  course7J,m.r  and^U^  A """ u"?'  *"''  7°'^'^' '"  "  ^^^  l"""".  ^e  upon 
nifin  »»».._  -i  J    .  .™ei  terror  ana  alarm  throurh  the  anttlnmAnt.  »»,!  ♦»...  .vu-l:.— i. 

^fiY^Z\^S^'7:^"Jl:'^l''^  into  forts  Dayton-and'H;rij;;;e;for«r,S: 
-Hi     woM  MMnccs,  they  ^thered  up  the  most  yaluable  of  their  stuff,  and  by  mew* 

4S 


378 


HIBTOBICAIi  COLLKOTIONS. 


?,.. 


of  boats  and  canoea  upon  the  river,  aucceeded,  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  in  eoUeetinga 
large  portion  of  their  beat  articles  of  furniture.  But  they  had  no  time  to  look  afier  their 
flocks  and  herds. 

*'  Early  in  the  evening  Brant  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  settlement,  but  as  the  night  came 
on  excessively  dark  and  rainy,  he  halted  with  his  forces  in  a  ravine,  near  the  house  of  his 
toiy  friend  Shoemaker,  where  the  younger  Butler  and  his  party  were  captured  the  preceding 
year.  Here  the  chieftain  lay  with  his  warriors  until  the  storm  broke  away  towards  morning 
— unconscious  that  his  approach  had  been  notified  to  the  people  by  the  scout  in  season  to 
enable  them  to  escape  the  blow  of  his  uplifted  arm.  Before  the  dawn  he  was  on  foot,  and 
his  warriors  were  swe^ing  through  the  settlement ;  so  that  the  torch  might  bo  almost  sim- 
ultaneously applied  to  every  building  it  contained.  Just  as  the  day  was  breaking  in  the 
east,  the  fires  wero  kindled,  and  die  whole  section  of  the  valley  was  speedily  illuminated  by 
the  flames  of  houses  and  bams,  and  all  things  else  combustible.  The  spectacle,  to  the 
people  in  the  forts,  was  one  of  melancholy  grandeur.  Every  family  saw  die  flames  and 
smoke  of  its  own  domicil  ascending  to  the  skies,  and  every  farmer  the  whole  product  of  his 
labor  for  the  season  dissolving  into  ashes. 

"  Having  no  fire-arms  larger  than  their  rifles,  the  Indians  avoided  even  a  demonstration 
against  the  forts,  notwithstanding  their  chagrin  that  neither  scalps  nor  prisoners  were  to  grace 
their  triumph.  But  as  the  light  of  day  advanced,  their  warriors  were  seen  singly,  or  in  small 
groups,  scouring  the  fields,  and  driving  away  all  the  horses,  sheep,  and  black  cattle  that 
could  be  found.  Nothing  upon  which  they  could  lay  their  hands  was  left ;  and  the  settle- 
ment, which,  but  the  day  before,  for  ten  miles  had  smiled  in  plenty  and  in  beauty,  was  now 
houseless  and  destitute.  Happily,  however,  of  human  life  there  was  no  greater  sacrifice 
than  has  already  been  mentioned.  After  the  Indians  had  decamped  with  their  booty,  a 
force  of  between  300  and  400  mi!.itia-men  collected,  and  went  in  pursuit — ^following  as  far 
as  Edmeston's  plantation  on  the  Unadilla  river,  where  the  bodies  of  the  three  scouts  were 
found  and  buried.    But  no  other  results  attended  diis  expedition." 


I   W 


8.  Remarkable  fulfilment  of  a  Dream  of  Jacob  Summons,  1780. 

In  an  incursion,  Mr.  Sampson  Sammons  and  his  three  sons,  all 
stanch  whigs,  residing  in  Jonustown,  were  captured  by  the  enemy 
and  their  dwelling  laid  in  ashes.     The  elder  Mr.  Sammons  and  his 

Joungest  son,  a  youth  of  eighteen,  were  released  by  Sir  John,  but 
acob  and  Frederick,  the  other  sons,  were  taken  to  Canada  and  con- 
fined in  the  fortress  of  Chamblee.  From  this  place  they  made  their 
escape,  and  after  a  series  of  dreadful  suffering,  m  their  flight  through 
the  wilderness,  arrived  in  safety  among  their  friends.  A  long  and 
interesting  account  of  their  adventures  is  given  in  Col.  Stone's  Life 
of  Brant. 

"  A  singular  but  well-attested  occurrence,"  says  Col.  Stone,  "  closes  this  interesting  per- 
sonal  narrative.  The  family  of  the  elder  Sammons  had  long  given  up  Frederick  as  lost. 
On  the  morning  after  his  arrival  at  Schenectady,  he  despatched  a  letter  to  his  father,  by  the 
hand  of  an  officer  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia,  who  left  it  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Levi  De 
Witt,  five  miles  distant  fi-om  the  residence  of  the  old  gentleman.  The  same  night  on 
which  the  letter  was  thus  left,  Jacob  dreamied  that  his  brother  Frederick  was  living,  and 
that  there  was  a  letter  from  hun  at  De  Witt's  annoimcing  the  joyful  tidings.  The  dream 
was  repeated  twice,  and  the  contents  of  the  letter  were  bo  strongly  impressed  upon  his 
mind,  that  he  repeated  what  he  believed  was  the  very  language,  on  the  ensuing  morning- 
insisting  that  such  a  letter  was  at  the  place  mentioned.  The  family,  his  father  in  particu- 
lar, laughed  at  him  for  bis  credulity.  Strong,  however,  in  the  belief  that  there  was  such  a 
communication,  he  repaired  to  the  place  designated,  and  asked  for  the  letter.  Mr.  De  Witt 
locked  for  it,  but  replied  there  was  none.  Jacob  requested  a  more  thorough  search,  and 
behold  the  letter  was  found  behind  a  barrel,  whore  it  had  fallen.  Jacob  then  requested 
Mr.  De  Witt  to  open  the  letter,  and  examine  while  he  recited  its  contents.  He  did  so,  and 
the  dreamer  repeated  it  word  for  word." 


\ 


i: 


BIBTOSIOAL  OOLLEOTIONB. 


879 


Zf  in  eoUeeting  t 
I  look  after  their 

)  the  night  came 
the  house  of  hit 
ed  the  preceding 
towards  morning 
cout  in  seaaon  to 
was  on  foot,  and 
It  be  almost  8im> 
breaking  in  the 
ly  illuminated  by 
spectacle,  to  the 
the  flames  and 
tie  product  of  his 

a  demonstration 
era  were  to  grace 
ingly,  or  in  small 
black  cattle  that 

;  and  the  settle, 
beauty,  was  now 

greater  sacrifice 
th  their  booty,  a 
-following  as  far 
hree  scouts  were 


ons,  1780. 

iree  sons,  all 
y  the  enemy 
[nons  and  his 
Mr  John,  but 
ada  and  con- 
y  made  their 
light  through 
A  long  and 
Stone's  Life 


s  interesting  per. 
■'rederick  as  lost, 
his  father,  by  the 
«f  a  Mr.  Levi  De 
9  same  night  on 
k  was  living,  and 
igs.  The  dream 
iressed  upon  his 
isuing  morning- 
father  in  particu. 
there  was  such  a 
3r.  Mr.  De  Witt 
>ugh  search,  and 
b  then  requested 
He  did  so,  sad 


9.  Death  of  the  faithful  Oneida  Guide. 

At  the  time  of  Sullivan's  expedition  to  Western  New  York,  the 
enemy  captured  two  friendly  Oneidas,  who  had,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  war,  rendered  the  Americans  constant  service,  and  on©  of 
whom  was  then  acting  as  Gen.  Sullivan's  principal  guide.  This  In- 
dian had  an  older  brother  engaged  with  the  enemy,  who,  as  they  met, 
is  said  (in  Stone's  Brant)  to  have  addressed  him  as  follows : 

«  Brother !  You  have  merited  death.  The  hatchet  or  the  warnjlub  shall  finish  your 
career.  Wten  I  begged  of  you  to  follow  me  io  the  fortunes  of  war,  you  were  deaf  to 
my  entreaties. 

«  Brother  1  You  have  merited  death,  and  shall  have  your  deserts.  When  the  rebels 
raised  their  hatchets  to  fight  against  then:  good  master,  you  shupened  your  knife,  you 
brightened  your  rifle,  and  led  on  our  foes  to  the  fields  of  our  fathers. 

"  Brother  1  You  have  merited  death,  and  shall  die  by  our  hands.  When  those  rebels 
had  driven  us  from  the  fields  of  our  fathers  to  seeli  out  new  houses,  it  was  you  who 
could  dare  to  step  forth  as  theur  pilot,  and  conduct  them  even  to  the  doors  of  our  wig- 
wams, to  butcher  our  children  and  put  us  to  death.  No  crime  can  be  greater.  But 
though  you  have  merited  death,  and  shall  die  on  this  spot,  my  hands  shall  not  be  stained 
with  tlie  blood  of  a  brother.     Who  will  strike  f" 

In  an  instant  the  tomahawk  of  Little  Beard  was  twvled  with  lightning  rapidity  over 
his  head,  and  ui  another  the  brave  Oneida,  the  friend  of  America  and  of  humanity,  lav 
dead  at  the  feet  of  the  infuriated  chiet 

10.  Battle  of  Bennington. 

The  progress  of  Burgoyne  thoroughly  alarmed  the  American 
states,  it  being  well  known  that  the  American  forces  under  Gen. 
Schuyler  were  not  sufficient  to  prevent  the  capture  of  Albany,  when- 
ever it  was  reached  by  the  enemy.  Instead  of  thinking  of  submission, 
the  Americans  met  this  alarming  crisis  with  firmness  and  resolution, 
and  great  exertions  were  made  to  reinforce  the  army.  Gen.  Lincoln 
was  directed  to  raise  and  take  the  command  of  the  New  England 
militia.  Gen.  Arnold,  and  Col.  Morgan  with  his  riflemen,  were  de- 
tached to  the  northern  army,  and  congress  elected  Gen.  Gates  as 
commander. 

"  While  the  American  army  was  thus  assuming  a  more  respectable  appearance,  Gen. 
Burgoyne  was  making  very  slow  advances  towards  Albany.  From  the  98th  of  July  to  the 
15th  of  August,  (1777,)  the  British  army  was  continually  employed  in  bringing  forward 
batteaux,  provisions,  and  ammunition  from  Fort  George,  to  the  first  navigable  part  of  Hud. 
son's  river ;  a  distance  of  not  more  than  18  miles.  The  labor  was  excessive,  the  Europe, 
ans  were  but  little  acquainted  with  the  methods  of  performing  it  to  advantage,  and  the 
effect  was  in  no  degree  equivalent  to  the  expense  of  labor  and  time.  With  all  the  efibrts 
that  Burgo}me  could  make,  encumbered  with  his  artillery  and  baggage,  his  labors  were 
inadequate  to  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  army  with  provisions  for  its  daily  consumption, 
and  the  establishment  of  the  necessary  magazines.  And  after  his  utmost  exertions  for  15 
days,  there  were  not  above  4  days'  provisions  in  the  store,  nor  above  10  batteaux  in  Hud. 
son's  river. 

"  In  such  circtmistances  the  British  general  found  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  procure 
sufiicient  supplies  of  provision  by  the  way  of  Fort  George,  and  determined  to  replenish  hia 
own  magazines  at  the  expense  of  those  of  the  Americans.  Having  received  information 
that  a  large  quantity  of  stores  were  laid  up  at  Bennington,  and  guarded  only  by  the  militia, 
he  formed  the  design  of  surprising  that  place ;  and  was  made  to  believe  that  as  soon  as  a 
detachment  of  the  royal  army  should  appear  in  that  quarter,  it  would  receive  eflectual  as. 
sistance  from  a  large  body  of  loyalists,  who  only  waited  for  the  appearance  of  a  support, 
and  would  in  that  event  come  forward  and  aid  the  royal  cause.  Fiili  of  these  expectations^ 
he  detached  Col.  Baum,  a  German  officer,  with  a  select  body  of  troops,  to  surprise  the 


S80 


HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS. 


pboa.    His  force  conii9t«d  of  about  500  regular  troopa,  some  Canadians,  and  more  than 
100  Indians,  with  two  light  pieces  of  artiUery.    To  facilitate  their  operations,  and  to  be 
ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  success  of  the  detachment,  the  royal  army  moved  along  the 
east  bank  ol  Hudson's  nver,  and  encamped  nearly  opposite  to  Saratoga ;  having  at  the  same 
time  thrown  a  bridge  of  rafts  over  the  river,  by  which  the  army  passed  to  that  place.    With 
•  view  to  support  Baum,  if  it  should  be  found  necessary,  Lieut.  Col.  Breyman's  corps,  con. 
■Mting  o»  Uie  Brunswick  grenadiers,  light  infantry  and  chasseurs,  were  posted  at  Battenkill. 
Uen.  Stark  having  received  information  that  a  party  of  Indians  were  at  Cambridge. 
Mnt  Lieut.  Col.  Greg,  on  August  the  13th,  with  a  party  of  200  men  to  stop  their  progrMS. 
1  owards  night  he  was  mformed  by  express,  that  a  large  body  of  regulars  was  in  the  rear 
ot  the  Indians,  and  advancing  towards  Bennington.    On  this  intelligence,  Stark  drew  to. 
lether  bis  brigade,  and  the  mUitia  that  were  at  hand,  and  sent  on  to  Manchester  to  Col. 
WaiTier  to  bring  on  his  regiment;  he  sent  expresses  at  the  same  time  to  the  neighboring 
nuiiua,  to  join  him  with  the  utmost  speed.    On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  he  marched  with 
hw  troops  and  at  the  distance  of  7  mUes  he  met  Greg  on  the  retreat,  and  the  enemy  within 
a  mile  of  him.    Stark  drew  up  his  troops  in  order  of  battle ;  but  the  enemy  coming  in  si«ht. 
halted  upon  a  very  advantageous  piece  of  ground.    Baum  perceived  the  Americans  wer^ 
too  strong  to  be  attacked  with  his  present  force,  and  sent  an  express  to  Burgoyne  with  an 
account  of  his  situation,  and  to  have  Breyman  march  immediately  to  support  him.    In  the 
mean  time  smaU  parties  of  the  Americans  kept  up  a  skirmish  with  the  enemy,  killed  and 
wounded  30  of  them,  with  two  of  their  Indian  chiefs,  without  any  loss  to  themselves.    The 
ground  the  Amencans  had  taken  was  unfavorable  for  a  general  action,  and  Stark  retreated 
about  a  mile  and  encamped.    A  council  of  war  was  held,  and  it  was  agreed  to  send  two 
detachments  upon  the  enemy's  rear,  while  the  rest  of  the  troops  should  make  an  attack 
upon  their  front.    The  next  day  the  weather  was  rainy,  and  though  it  prevented  a  general 
acuon,  there  were  frequent  skirmishings  in  small  parties,  which  proved  favorable  and  en- 
couraging  to  the  Americans. 

•'  On  August  the  16th,  in  the  morning.  Stark  was  joined  by  Col.  Symonds  and  a  body 
ot  militia  from  Berkshire,  and  proceeded  to  attack  the  enemy,  agreeably  to  the  plan  which 
had  been  concerted.    Col.  Baum  in  the  mean  time  had  entrenched,  on  an  advantageous 
piece  of  ground  tiear  St.  Koicks  mills,  on  a  branch  of  Hoosick  river,  and  rendered  hiT  post 
as  strong  as  his  circumstances  and  situation  would  admit.    Col.  Nichols  was  detached  with 
aoo  men  to  the  rear  of  his  left,  Col.  derrick,  with  300  men  to  the  rear  of  his  right ;  both 
were  to  join  and  then  make  the  attack,    Cols.  Hubbard  and  Stickney,  with  200  more,  were 
ordered  on  the  right,  and  100  were  advanced  towards  the  front  to  draw  the  attention  of  the 
enemy  that  way.    About  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  troops  had  taken  their  situation,  and 
were  ready  to  commence  the  action.    WhUe  Nichols  and  Herrick  were  bringing  their 
troops  together,  the  Indians  were  alarmed  at  the  prospect,  and  pushed  off  between  the  two 
corps;  but  received  a  fire  as  they  were  passing,  by  which  three  of  them  were  killed,  and 
two  wounded.    Nichols  then  began  the  attack,  and  was  followed  by  aU  the  other  divisions ; 
those  in  the  tro.-t  immediately  advanced,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  action  became  general. 
It  laated  about  two  hours,  and  was  like  one  continued  peal  of  thunder.    Baum  made  a 
brave  defence ;  and  the  German  dragoons,  after  they  had  expended  their  ammuniUon,  led 
by  then-  colonel,  charged  wiih  their  swords,  but  they  were  soon  overpowered.    Their  works 
were  earned  on  all  sides,  their  two  pieces  of  cannon  were  taken.  Col.  Baum  himself  was 
mortally  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  and  all  his  men,  except  a  few  who  had  escaped  into 
the  woods,  were  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners.    Having  completed  the  business  by  taking 
the  whole  party,  the  mihtia  began  to  disperse,  and  look  out  for  plunder.    But  in  a  few 
minutes  Stark  received  information  that  a  large  reinforcement  was  on  their  march,  and 
within  two  miles  of  him.     Fortunately  at  that  moment  Col.  Warner  came  up  with  his  regi- 
ment  from  Manchester.    This  brave  and  experienced  officer  commanded  a  regiment  of 
continental  troops,  which  had  been  raised  in  Vermont.    Mortified  that  he  had  not  been  in 
the  former  eng^ement,  he  instantly  led  on  his  men  against  Breyman,  and  began  the  second 
engagement.    Stark  coUected  the  militia  as  soon  as  possible,  and  pushed  on  to  his  assist. 
ance.     Ihe  action  became  general,  and  the  battle  continued  obstinate  on  both  sides  till 
■unset,  when  the  Germans  were  forced  to  give  way,  and  were  pursued  till  dark.    They 
weir  two  field-pieces  behind,  and  a  considerable  number  were  made  prisoners.    They 
retreated  in  the  best  manner  they  could,  improving  the  advantages  of  the  evening  and 
night,  to  which  nlone  their  escape  was  ascribed. 

"In  these  actions  the  Americans  took  4  brass  field-pieces,  12  brass  drums,  250  dragoon     ■ 
■words,  4  ammunition  wagons,  and  about  700  prisoners,  with  their  arms  and  accoutre. 
ments ;— ^7  men  were  found  dead  upon  the  spot,  the  numbers  of  wounded  were  unknown. 
IM  looa  ol  the  Americans  was  but  small :  30  were  alain.  and  ehont  ^0  wom  wn.md-d." 


HIBTOBIOAL  COLLECTIONi 


381 


and  more  than 
tions,  and  to  be 
noved  along  the 
ing  at  the  same 
at  place.  With 
an's  corps,  con. 
id  at  Battenkil). 
I  at  Cambridge, 
>  their  progress, 
was  in  the  rear 

Stark  drew  to. 
ichester  to  Col. 
the  neighboring 
3  marched  with 
9  enemy  within 
oming  in  sight, 
imericans  were 
rgoyne  with  an 
rt  him.  In  the 
imy,  killed  and 
imaeives.  The 
Btark  retreated 
d  to  send  two 
nake  an  attack 
inted  a  general 
orable  and  en- 

ids  and  a  body 
the  plan  which 

advantageous 
leered  his  post 
detached  with 
Ilia  right ;  both 
100  more,  were 
ttention  of  the 
r  situation,  and 
bringing  their 
tween  the  two 
sre  killed,  and 
ither  divisions ; 
came  general. 
Baum  made  a 
imunition,  led 

Their  works 
(I  himself  was 
1  escaped  into 
less  by  taking 

But  in  a  few 
!ir  march,  and 
with  his  regi. 
t  regiment  of 
d  not  been  in 
an  the  second 
1  to  his  assist, 
both  aides  till 
dark.  They 
oners.  They 
I  evening  and 

350  dragoon     < 
and  accoutre, 
ere  unknown, 
wounded*" 


11.'  Dutch  Church  in  Mount  Pleasant,  4*. 

^oT**®L*®ii"°lif,^^^£y  fToZfow,  the  noted  location  described  in  the 
*'iiketch  Book  by  Washington  Irving,  is  situated  in  the  south  part  of 
this  township,  near  Tarrytown;  it  is  a  long  ravine  of  2  or  3  miles, 
through  which  a  road  passes  on  which  is  situated  several  romantic 
awellmgs. 


Ancient  Dutch  church.  / 

The  above  is  a  northwestern  view  of  the  old  Dutch  Reformed 
church  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  this  town,  about  a  mile  north 
of  the  place  where  Andre  was  taken  in  Tarrytovm.  It  is  believed 
to  be  the  oldest  church  now  standing  in  the  state.  A  tablet  placed 
on  the  church  bears  the  inscription,  "  Erected  and  built  by  Frederick 
Philips,*  and  Catharine  Van  Cortlandt,  his  wife,  in  1699."  The  pulpit 
and  communion  table  were  brought  from  Holland  at  the  time  of  the 
erection  of  the  church.  The  building  has  latterly  undergone  some 
repairs  internally  and  externally,  by  which  it  has  lost  considerable 
ot  Its  venerable  appearance.  Unfortunately,  the  pulpit  has  not  es- 
caped the  hand  of  modern  innovation,  but  the  communion  table 
still  remains  unchanged,  a  venerable  relic  of  a  former  age.  This 
church  and  vicinity  has  been  made  celebrated  by  Irving's  well-known 
"  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow." 

"The  sequestered  situation  of  this  church,"  says  the  author  of  this  legend, "  seem  always 
»  have  made  it  a  favorite  haunt  of  troubled  spirits.  It  stands  on  a  knoU  surrounded  by 
locust  trees  and  lofty  elms,  from  among  which  its  decent  whitewashed  walls  shine  mod- 
estiy  forth  like  Christian  punty  beaming  through  the  shades  of  retirement.  A  gentle  slope 
descends  from  it  to  a  si  ver  sheet  of  water,  bordered  by  high  trees,  between  which,  peep» 
may  be  caught  at  the  blue  hills  of  the  Hudson.  To  look  upon  its  grass-grown  yard,  where 
me  sunbeams  seem  to  sleep  so  quietly,  one  would  think  that  there  at  least  the  dead  might 
rest  m  peace.  On  one  side  of  the  church  extends  a  wider  woody  dell,  along  which  lavea 
a  ,?g6  „fook  among  orokon  recks  and  trunks  of  iklJen  trees.  Over  a  deep  black  pnrt  of 
me  stream,  not  far  from  the  church,  was  formeriy  thrown  a  wooden  bridge ;  the  road  tha 
led  to  It  and  the  bridge  itself  were  thickly  shaded  by  overhanging  trees,  which  cast  a  gloom 
aoout  It  even  in  tho  daytime,  but  occasioned  a  fearful  darkness  at  night." 


382 


BIBTOBIOAL  OOLbBOTIONS. 


13.  Deception  practised  upon  Sir  Janus  Yeo, 

'  "A  lerious  alann,  attended  by  aome  amuaing  conaequenoea,  Mcumd  in  May,  1814, 

when  Sir  Jamea  Yeo,  with  a  fleet  of  thirteen  veaaelaof  variouaaisea,  appeared  off  the  mouth 

of  the  Oeneaeo,  threatening  the  deatruction  of  the  rude  improvementa  in  and  around  Ro. 

cheater.    Meaaengora  were  despatched  to  arouse  the  people  in  the  aurrounding  country  for 

defence  against  the  threatened  attack.    There  were  then  but  thirty-three  people  in  Rochea. 

tar  capable  of  bearing  arma.    Thia  little  band  threw  up  a  breastwork  called  Fort  Bender, 

near  the  Deep  Hollow,  beaide  the  Lower  Falls,  and  hurried  down  to  the  junction  of  the 

Genesee  and  Lake  Ontario,  five  miles  north  of  the  present  city  limits,  where  the  enemy 

threatened  to  land ;  leaving  behind  them  two  old  men,  with  aome  young  lada,  to  remove 

the  women  and  children  into  the  woods,  in  case  the  British  should  attempt  to  land  for  the 

capture  of  the  provisions  and  destructian  of  the  bridge  at  Rochester,  Sec.    Francis  Brown 

and  Elisha  Ely  acted  aa  captains,  and  Isaac  W.  Stone  aa  m^jor  of  the  Rocheater  forces, 

which  were  strengthened  by  the  additions  that  could  be  made  from  thia  thinly-settled  region. 

Though  the  equipments  and  discipline  of  these  troops  would  not  form  a  brilliant  picture  for 

a  warUke  eye,  their  very  awkwardness  in  thoae  pointa,  coupled  as  it  was  with  their  sagacity 

and  courage,  accomplished  more  perhapa  than  could  have  been  effected  by  a  larger  force 

of  regular  troops  bedizzened  with  the  trappings  of  military  pomp.    The  militia  thus  hastily 

collected,  were  marched  and  countermarched,  disappearing  in  the  woods  at  one  point  and 

suddenly  emerging  elsewhere,  so  as  to  impress  the  enemy  with  the  belief  that  the  force 

collected  for  defence  was  far  greater  than  it  actually  was.    (The  circumstancea  here  related 

are  substantially  as  mentioned  to  the  writer  by  one  who  was  then  and  is  now  a  resident 

of  Rocheater.)    An  officer  with  a  flag  of  truce  waa  sent  from  the  British  fleet.    A  militia 

officer  marched  down,  with  ten  of  the  most  soldierlike  men,  to  receive  him  on  Lighthouse 

Point    These  militiamen  carried  their  guns  aa  nearly  upright  as  might  be  consistent  with 

their  plan  of  being  ready  for  action  by  keeping  hold  of  the  triggera !    The  British  officer 

■waa  astonished :  he  '  looked  unutterable  things.'    •  Sir,'  said  he,  *  do  you  receive  a  flag  of 

truce  under  arma,  with  cocked  triggers  ?•    •  Excuse  me,  excuse  me,  sir ;  we  backwoodsmen 

«re  not  well  versed  in  military  tactics,'  replied  the  American  officer,  who  promptly  sought 

to  rectify  hia  error  by  ordering  his  men  to  *  ground  arms ."    The  Briton  was  still  more  as. 

tonished ;  and,  after  delivering  a  brief  message,  immediately  departed  for  the  fleet,  indicat. 

ing  by  his  countenance  a  suspicion  that  the  ignorance  of  tactica  which  he  had  witnessed 

waa  all  feigned  for  the  occasion,  so  aa  to  deceive  the  Britiah  commodore  into  a  anare ! 

Shortly  afterward,  on  the  aame  day,  another  officer  came  ashore  with  a  flag  of  truce  for 

further  parley,  aa  the  Britiah  were  evidently  too  auspicious  of  stratagem  to  attempt  a  hostile 

landing  if  there  waa  any  possibility  of  compromising  for  the  spoils.    Capt.  Francia  Brown 

waa  deputed  with  a  guard  to  receive  the  last  flag  of  truce.    The  British  officer  looked  sus. 

piciously  upon  him  and  upon  hia  guard  5  and,  after  some  conversation,  familiarly  grasped 

the  pantaloons  of  Capt.  B.  about  the  knee,  remarking,  as  he  firmly  handled  it,  •  Your  cloth 

ia  too  good  to  be  spoiled  by  such  a  bungling  tailor  ;•  alluding  to  the  width  and  clumsy  as. 

pect  of  that  garment.    Brown  waa  quickwitted  as  well  aa  resolute,  and  replied  jocosely, 

that  •  he  was  prevented  from  dressing  fashionably  by  his  haate  that  morning  to  salute  such 

distinguished  visiters  J'    The  Briton  obviously  imagined  that  Brown  waa  a  regular  officer 

of  the  American  army,  whoae  regimentals  were  masked  by  clumsy  overclothes.    The  pro- 

position  waa  then  made,  that,  if  the  Americans  would  deliver  up  the  provisions  and  military 

Btores  which  might  be  in  and  around  Rochelter  or  Chariotte,  Su-  James  Yeo  would  spare 

the  settlements  from  destruction.    « Will  you  comply  with  the  offer  7*    •  Blood  knee-deep 

jurat ."  waa  the  emphatic  reply  of  Fraocia  Brown. 

"  While  this  parley  waa  in  progress,  an  American  officer,  with  hia  staff,  returning  from  the 
Niagara  frontier,  waa  accidentally  seen  passing  from  one  wooded  point  to  another ;  and 
this,  with  other  circumstances,  afforded  to  the  British  ♦  confirmation  strong'  that  their  suspi- 
ciona  were  well  founded ;  that  there  was  a  considerable  American  army  collected ;  and  that 
the  Yankee  officers  ahammed  ignorance  for  the  purpose  of  entrapping  ashore  the  commodore 
and  his  forces  I  The  return  of  the  laat  flag  to  the  fleet  was  followed  by  a  vigorous  attack  in 
bomba  and  balls,  while  the  compliment  was  spiritedly  returned,  not  without  some  effect  on 
at  least  one  of  the  vessels,  by  a  ruaty  old  six.pounder,  which  had  been  fiirbished  and  mount 
ed  on  a  log  for  the  important  occaaion.  After  a  few  hours  spent  in  thia  unavailing  manner. 
Admiral  Yeo  run  dovra  to  Pulteneyville,  about  twenty  miles  eastward  of  Genesee  river, 
where,  on  learning  how  they  -had  been  outwitted  and  deterred  from  landing  by  such  a 
— no — *  w  ...!.t.ia,  viif^ir  mOt  *'ittC3tion  coulu  sCETCvIy  fcdticuix  sli  r^nDM^  xrOia  a  ncarty  lauxu 
at  th«'Yj|pkee  trick.'" 


HMTOBIOAL  OOLLEOTIONf. 

18.  David  Williams,  captor  of  Andre. 


888 


David  Williams,  the  eldest  and  last  survivor  of  the  captors  of  An- 
dre, was  born  in  Tarrytown,  October  21at,  1764,  and  was  of  Dutch 
descent.  He  died  at  Broome,  Schoharie  Co.,  and  was  buried  with 
military  honors  at  Livingstonville. 

"  In  the  fall  of  1880,  the  corporation  of  the  city  of  New  York  sent  an  invitation,  bv  a 
MHicial  meBscnger,  to  Mr.  Williams,  to  be  present  as  a  guest  at  the  celebration  of  the 
French  Revolution,  He  was,  with  Enoch  Crosby,  another  hero  of  '76,  and  two  otherZ 
drawn  in  an  elegant  carnage  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  attrocting  much  attention  u 
the  writer  well  remembers.  WhUe  in  the  city,  he  visited  with  the  mayor  and  other 
distinguished  citizens,  theatres,  public  schools,  the  ftavy  yard,  Ac,  at  all  of  which  he  waa 
a  welcome  guesi  At  one  of  the  schools  a  silver  cup  was  presented  to  him,  and  at  an- 
other a  silver-headed  cane,  the  stem  of  which  was  made  from  a  part  of  a  chevaux-de-friso 
used  near  West  Point  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  also  presented  while  on  this  visit  with 
an  elegant  horse,  carriage,  and  harness  by  the  mayor. 

r  r^"""  ^P**"*'  returned  from  New  York  in  December,  soon  after  which  he  began  rapidly 
to  faiL  The  exatement  attending  his  visit  had  no  doubt  boon  too  great  for  one  o?  his 
age^and  retired  habits.  .  .  .  He  continued  gradually  to  waste  away  until  sunset 
fu  .uesday,  the  2d  day  of  August,  1881,  when  he  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan." 

14.  Execution  of  a  Deserter  at  Greenbush. 


Remains  of  the  Barracks  at  Greenbush,  1840. 

The  United  States  cantonment,  now  in  ruins,  was  erected  here 
during  the  late  war,  on  a  commanding  eminence  2  miles  SSE.  of 
Albany.  It  consisted  of  very  extensive  wooden  barracks  for  soldiers, 
officers'  quarters,  <fec.,  &c.,  calculated  for  the  accommodation  in 
winter  quarters  of  6,000  men. 

The  annexed  account  of  the  execution  of  a  deserter  at  this  place 
during  the  late  war,  was  written  by  an  officer  of  the  United  States 
army.    It  is  shockingly  minute  in  its  details. 

"  In  1814, 1  was  stationed  with  a  detachment  of  United  States  troops  at  Greenbush,  in 
the  state  of  New  York.  One  morning  several  prisoners,  confined  in  the  provost  guard, 
house,  were  brought  out  to  hear  the  sentence  which  a  court-martial  had  annexed  to  their 
delinquencies  read  on  parade.  Their  appearance  indicated  that  their  lot  had  already  been 
sufficiently  hard.  Some  wore  marks  of  long  confinement,  and  on  all,  the  severity  of  the 
prison-house  had  enstamped  its  impression.  They  looked  dejected  at  this  public  exposure, 
ana  anxious  to  learn  their  iate.  1  had  never  seen  the  face  of  any  of  them  before,  and  only 
knew  that  a  single  one  of  them  had  been  adjudged  to  death.  Soon  as  their  names  wero 
called  aod  their  8«nt«nce8  announced,  I  discerned  by  his  agony  and  gestures  the  miserable 


^'■***- 


994 


PtTOBICAL  OOLLIOTIONS. 


mui  on  whom  that  lentfliuM  waa  to  fiJl ;  a  man  in  th«  bloom  of  youth  and  tha  (iilnaaa  of 
health  and  vigor. 

"  Prompted  by  feelhiga  of  lympathy,  I  called  next  morning  to  see  him  in  priaon.  There, 
ebamed  by  the  1m  to  the  beam  of  the  guard-houae,  he  waa  reading  the  bible,  trying  to  pre. 
pare  bimaelf,  b»o6  aaid,  for  the  fatal  hour.  I  learned  from  him  Sie  ciraumstanoes  of  hia 
*••••  Ha,wle  the  father  of  a  family ;  having  a  wife  and  three  young  children,  thir^  or 
mtr  mUH  diatant  from  the  camp.  Hie  crime  waa  deiertion,  of  which  he  had  been  three 
t&neaguilty.  Hia  only  object  in  leaving  the  camp,  in  the  laat  inatance,  waa  to  visit  hia  wife 
and  children.  Having  aeen  that  all  waa  well  with  them,  it  was  his  intention  to  return.  But 
whatever  waa  his  intention,  he  was  a  deserter,  and  as  such  taken  and  brought  into  the 
camp ;  manacled,  and  under  the  guard  of  his  fellow.aoldiers.  The  time  between  the  sen. 
tence  and  ita  execution  waa  brief;  the  authority  in  whom  alone  waa  veated  the  power  of 
leprieve  or  pardon,  distant.  Thus  he  had  no  hope,  and  only  requeated  the  attendance  of  a 
nuniater  of  the  gospel,  and  permiasion  to  see  hia  wife  and  children.  The  firat  part  of  hia 
requeat  was  granted,  but  whether  he  waa  permitted  or  not  to  aee  hia  fiunily,  I  do  not  now 
remember. 
"  Dreading  the  hour  of  his  ex;ecution,  I  resolved,  if  poaeible,  to  avoid  being  preaent  at  the 

scene.    But  the  commander  of  the  poet.  Col.  L ,  sent  me  an  exprev  order  to  attend, 

that  agreeably  to  the  usagea  of  the  army  I  might,  in  my  official  capacity  of  surgeon,  see 
the  sentence  fully  executed. 

"  The  poor  fellow  was  taken  from  the  guard.house  to  be  escorted  to  the  fatal  spot.  Be. 
fore  hiiji  was  his  coffin ;  a  box  of  rough  pine  boards— borne  on  the  shoulders  of  two  men. 
The  prisoner  stood  with  his  arms  pinioned,  between  two  clergymen ;  a  white  cotton  gown 
or  wmding.sheet,  reached  to  hie  feet.  It  was  trimmed  with  black,  acd  had  attached  to  it 
over  the  place  of  the  real  heart  the  black  image  of  a  heart;  the  mark  at  which  the  execu- 
tionera  were  to  aim.  On  his  head  was  a  cap  of  white,  also  trimmed  with  black.  Hia  coun. 
tenance  was  blanched  to  the  hue  of  his  windingjheet,  and  his  frame  trembled  with  agony. 
He  seemed  reaolved,  however,  to  suffer  Uke  a  soldier.  Behind  him  were  a  number  of  prison^ 
ers,  confined  for  various  offences ;  next  to  them  was  a  strong  guard  of  aoldiera,  with  fixed 
bayonets  and  loaded  muskets.    My  station  was  in  the  rear  of  the  whole. 

'*  Our  procession  thus  formed,  and  with  much  feeling  and  in  tow  voices  on  the  part  of  the 
officera,  we  moved  forward  with  slow  and  measured  atepa  to  the  tune  of  the  death  morcA, 
(Roslin  Caatle,)  played  with  muffled  drums  and  mourning  fifes.  TTie  scene  waa  aolemn 
beyond  the  powera  of  description.  A  man  in  the  vigor  of  life  waUimf  to  his  grave ;  to  the 
tune  rf  his  own  death.march,  clothed  in  his  burial  robes,  surrounded  by  friends  assembled 
to  perform  the  laat  sad  offices  of  affection,  and  to  weep  over  him  in  the  last  sad  hour  s  no 
not  by  theae,  but  by  soldiera  with  bristUng  bayonets  and  loaded  musketa,  urged  by  ateni 
oommand  to  do  the  violence  of  death  to  a  fellowjwldier;  as  he  surveys  the  multitude,  he 
behctfda  no  look  of  tenderness,  no  tear  of  sensibility ;  he  hears  no  plaint  of  grief;  all.  all  is 
Btem  as  the  iron  rigor  of  the  law  which  decreea  hia  death. 

'*••'•  Amid  refleotiona  like  these,  wo  arrived  at  the  place  of  execution,  a  large  open 
field,  m  v^oee  centre  a  heap  of  earth,  fivahly  thrown  up,  marked  the  spot  of  the  deserter's 
grave.  On  this  field  the  whole  force  then  at  the  cantonment,  amounting  to  many  hundred 
men,  was  drawn  up  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  square,  with  the  aide  beyond  the  grave  vacant. 
The  executioners,  eight  in  number,  had  been  drawn  by  lot.  No  soldier  would  volunteer 
for  such  a  duty.  Their  muskets  had  been  charged  by  the  officer  of  the  day ;  seven  of  them 
Wift  ball,  the  eighth  with  powder  alone.  Thus  prepared  they  were  placed  together,  and 
each  executioner  takes  his  choice.  Thus  each  may  believe  that  he  has  the  blank  cartridge, 
and  therefore  haa  no  hand  in  the  death  of  his  brother  soldier ;  striking  indications  of  the 
nature  of  the  service. 

"  The  coffin  waa  placed  parallel  with  the  grave,  and  about  two  feet  distant.  In  the 
intervening  space  the  prisoner  was  directed  to  stand.  He  desired  permission  to  say  a  word 
to  hia  fellow4K>ldiers;  and  thus  standing  between  his  coffin  and  his  grave,  warned  them 
against  desertion,  continuing  to  speak  until  the  officer  on  duty,  with  Ms  watch  in  his  hand, 
announced  to  him  in  a  low  voice,  'Two  o'clock,  your  last  moment  is  at  hand ;  you  must 
kneel  upon  your  coffin.'  This  done,  the  officer  drew  down  the  white  cap,  so  as  to  cover 
the  eyes  and  most  of  Ae  &ce  of  the  prisoner— still  continuing  to  speak  in  a  hurried,  loud 
and  agitated  voice.  The  kneeling  was  the  signal  for  the  executioners  to  advance.  They 
had  before,  to  avoid  beiw  distinguished  by  the  prisoner,  stood  intermingled  with  the  soldiers 
who  formed  the  line.  They  now  came  forward,  marching  abreast,  and  took  their  atand  a 
litUo  to  the  left,  about  two  rods  distant  from  their  living  mark.  The  officer  raised  his 
sword.  At  this  signal,  the  executioners  took  aim.  He  then  gave  a  blow  on  a  drum  which 
was  at  hand;  the  executioners  all  fired  at  the  same  instant.  The  miserable  man,  widj  a 
Mvx«d  Swciiu,  IcBpcu  tfuffi  the  cBTia,  asd  &li  bsiweea  fiis  coma  and  hii  gfav^.    Tiu)  sef. 


HMTOaiOAL  OOLLICTIOnI, 


865 


r«nt  of  dw  guud,  a  moment  after,  ahot  him  throogh  the  head"  with  •  mnaket  NaenoA  'it 
thia  purpoM  in  caae  the  exeeutionen  Adled  to  produce  imrtant  de«d|.  The  aergeant,  ji>m 
mouvea  of  humanity,  held  the  muaale  of  hia  muaket  near  the  heaJ^;  so  new  that  the  eap 
took  fire ;  and  there  the  body  lay  upon  the  fko« ;  the  head  emitting  th«  atingled  fiunea  rf 
burning  cotton  and  burning  hair.  0  war,  dreadful  even  in  thy  tendemeSthorrible  evra 
ill  thy  compaaaion ! 

"  I  waa  deaired  to  oerfonn  my  part  of  the  ceremony ;  and  placing  ray  hand  wKetrJwi 
before  the  pulse  beat  fWl,  and  the  life  flowed  warm,  aqd  finding  no  aymotom  of  eitherT! 
affirmed,  he  la  dead.  The  line  then  marched  by  the  body,  as  it  lay  upon  the  earth,  tti* 
head  BMll  imoking ;  that  every  man  might  behold  for  himaelf  the  fate  of  a  deaerter. 

'•  Thus  far,  all  had  been  dreadful  indeed,  but  aolemn,  aa  it  became  the  aending  of  a  nirit 
to  ita  droad  account;  but  now  the  scene  changes.  The  whole  band  struck  up,  and  with 
uncommon  animation,  our  national  air,  (Yankee  Doodle,}  and  to  ita  lively  measures  we 
were  burned  back  to  our  parade  ground.  Having  been  dismissed,  the  commander  of  the 
poet  sent  an  invitation  to  all  the  officera  to  meet  at  hia  quartert,  whither  we  repaired,  and 
were  treated  to  a  glass  of  gin  and  water.  Thus  this  melancholy  tragedy  ended  in  what 
seemed  little  better  than  a  farce ;  a  fair  specimen,  the  former  of  the  dread  severity— the 
latter  of  the  moral  aensibilities  which  prevail  in  the  camp." 

15.  Blowing  up  of  the  steam-frigate  Pulton. 

The  following  account  of  the  blowing  up  of  the  tteam-frigate  Ful- 
ton at  the  navv-yard  in  this  place,  June  4th,  1889,  wai  written  on 
the  morning  alter  the  explosion : 

"  The  Fulton  has  ever  aince  the  war  been  occupied  aa  a  receiving  ahip,  and  waa  raoorad 
vrithin  two  hundred  yards  of  the  ahore.  The  magazine  waa  in  the  bow  of  the  ahip,  and 
contained  at  the  time  of  the  explosion  but  three  barrela  of  damaged  powder.  The  expio. 
aion  was  not  louder  than  that  produced  by  the  discharge  of  a  single  cannon ;  and  many 
persons  in  the  navy.yard  aupposed  the  i«port  to  have  proceeded  from  auch  a  aouice,  until 
they  saw  the  immenae  column  of  smoke  arising  from  the  vessel.  Others  about  the  yai^ 
aaw  the  masts  rising  into  the  air  before  the  exploaion,  and  immediately  after,  the  air  waa 
filled  with  firagmenta  of  the  vessel.  It  is  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  a  midshipman  who 
was,  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  aaleep  on  board  of  the  frigate  United  States,  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  Fulton,  was  not  at  all  disturbed  by  the  report  of  the  explosion,  ind 
was  not  aware  of  the  occurrence,  until  he  waa  told  of  it  afier  he  awoke. 

"  The  Fulton  ia  a  complete  wreck ;  the  bow  being  destroyed  nearly  to  the  water,  and  the 
whole  of  this  immense  vessel,  whose  sides  were  more  than  four  feet  thick,  and  all  other 
parts  of  corresponding  strengdi — is  now  lying  an  entire  heap  of  ruins,  burst  aaunder^in  all 
parts,  and  aground  at  the  spot  where  she  waa  moored.  Although  ahe  waa  tmt  300  jrarda 
from  the  navy.yard,  and  many  vessels  near  her,  not  one  of  diem  received  the  leaat  dam> 
age ;  nor  was  the  bridge  which  led  from  the  shore  to  the  Fulton  at  all  ii^ured.  The  sen. 
tinel  upon  the  bridge  received  no  wound  whatever,  and  continued  to  perform  his  duty  after 
the  accident,  aa  unconcerned  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  The  sentinel  on  board  dw 
ahip  was  less  fortunate,  and  escaped  with  merely  (a  Ught  accident  on  such  occaaions)  a 
broken  leg.  There  were  attached  to  the  Fulton,  by  die  roll  of  die  ship,  143  persons ;  and, 
at  die  time  of  the  exploeion,  there  were  auppoaed  to  have  been  on  boud  the  veaael  about 
sixty  peiBons. 

"  It  happened  fortunately  that  sixty-two  men,  formerly  attached  to  the  frigate,  were  drafted 
on  Tuesday,  and  had  proceeded  to  Norfolk  to  form  part  of  the  crew  of  die  fiigate  ConsteU 
lation,  then  on  the  eve  of  departure  for  a  foreign  atation.  The  band,  17  in  number,  were 
on  ahore.  Thia  dreadful  accident  waa  occasioned  by  the  gunner's  going  into  the  magarine 
to  procure  powder  to  fire  the  evening  gun.  He  waa  charged  by  one  of  the  officera  pre- 
viously  to  his  going  below,  to  be  carefid ;  and  soon  after,  the  explosion  took  place.  We  uiu 
derstand  that  he  was  a  man  between  fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age,  and  had  just  been  ap> 
pointed  to  that  office ;  the  old  gunner  having  been  Charged  the  day  before.  He  waa  de. 
■ired  by  Lieutenant  Breckenridge  to  be  cautious  with  the  light,  and  to  place  it  in  the  loea* 
Hon  invariably  provided  for  it,  on  auch  occuiona,  vif .  bdiiad  a  rwflecting  glaaa  in  tho  paiti 

i9f 


886 


lllTOBIOAL  OOLLIOTIONf . 


ion,  through  which  th«  nM  of  Ught  are  thrown.  It  k  nipposed  hs  had  bMn  o«mI«h  in 
ihii  ptrtioukr.  ud  thMkiTiiic  ourM  th«  ouidl*  into  iha  miguine,  wmt  of  .n  awrln 
WMt  communiMt^  l»  Om  powder  j  but  h  he  k  among  the  dead,  nothing  certain  onthia 
point  ran  ever  be  Wiown.  Lieutenant  Mull  atatea,  that  the  neeeaaary  precautiona  had  been 
taken  for  opei^  the  magaaine,  and  a  aentinel  placed  at  the  hatch  before  he  left  the  deok, 

u  A  iiT^     '"y  1°  ""  ^"^  """  •*""•  •**"'y  minutea  the  exploeion  took  place. 

^ ,,'«*""'»  Ujne  of  the  exploeion,  the  officera  were  dining  in  the  ward  room.    The  ladr  of 

lieutenant  fireokenndge,  and  the  eon  of  Lieutenant  PUtt,  a  iad  about  nine  yean  old.  were 
gueete,  and  one  account  aaya  both  were  alighdy  wounded.  Another  account  layi.  Lieuten. 
ant  Mull,  who  waa  aitting  next  to  the  eon  of  Lieutenant  Piatt,  with  great  preaence  of  mmd. 
caught  hold  of  him  and  placed  him  in  one  of  the  portJiolea,  by  which  meana  he  eacaped 
uniiyured.  Lieutenant  Piatt  had  returned  only  yeaterday  morning,  having  been  abaent  one 
month  on  leave.  Commodore  Chaunoey,  with  the  commander  of  the  frigate,  Captain  New. 
ton,  left  her  only  a  few  minutea  before  the  exploeion— the  former  having  been  on  boanl  on 
a  vuit  of  inspection. 

"  The  eacape  of  Midshipman  Eckford  aceme  to  have  been  almost  miraeuloua.  Wlien 
Commodore  Chauncey  (who  waa  one  of  the  fint  to  reach  the  veaeel)  got  on  board,  the  first 
object  he  saw  waa  young  Eckford  hanging  by  one  of  hie  lege  between  the  gun-deck,  whither 
he  had  been  forced  by  the  exploeion.    A  jaok^rew  waa  immediately  procured,  by  meana 

•.'wJif  '*■■  ""*"*  *"•* ''"  *'"■  "*ric"<«d  from  hie  periloua  situation. 

The  room  in  which  the  officera  were  dining  waa  situated  about  midahipa.  The  whole 
compwjy  at  the  table  were  forced,  by  the  concussion,  againat  the  transom  with  such  violence 
M  to  break  their  limba,  and  otherwise  cut  and  bruise  them  in  a  shocking  manner. 

The  magaaine  waa  situated  in  the  bows  of  the  veesel.  This  part  of  the  ahip.  aa  mav 
woU  be  imagined,  is  completely  demolished.  Indeed  the  ahip  remains  aa  complete  a  wreck 
as  probably  was  ever  beheld.  The  timbera  throughout  appear  to  have  been  perfectly  rotten. 
Si?  were  b  •^j**"  ^^"^  overboard,  and  aome  of  them  (of  large  dimenaiona)  hung 

"The  bodiea  of  the  dead  and  wounded  were  brought  on  shore  aa  soon  aa  circumstancea 

would  permit.    The  former,  after  being  recognised,  were  put  into  coffins.    The  latter  were 

\    fu  "^^   ^     ®  " I'P'J^  **f  *•""  navy.yard  and  every  attention  paid  to  them.    The  bodies  of 

the  dead  were  shockmgly  mangled  j  their  featurea  diatorted,  and  so  much  blackened,  dut 

it  waa  dimcult  to  recognise  them. 

,  "  Commodore  Chauncey  and  the  officers  of  the  station  were  on  board  the  wreck,  after 
the  exploeion,  giving  direcuona  to  remove  the  scattered  timber,  in  order  that  a  search  mi«ht 
take  place  for  such  bodiw  aa  might  be  buried  in  the  ruins.    The  tide  being  at  die  ebb.  ira. 
mmae  quantibea  of  the  fragmenta  of  the  ship  iloated  down  in  front  of  Ae  city,  and  hun. 
^t?l  ""  *'*"  "'°  ^^^y  engaged  in  securing  them. 

What  18  a  very  remarkable  circumstance,  aldiough  aeveral  of  the  persons  at  dinner  in 
Uie  ward  room  escaped  with  their  lives,  and  aome  of  them  uninjured,  not  a  vestige  of  the 
tawe,  chaira,  or  any  of  the  furmturo  in  the  room  remains.  Every  thing  was  blown  to  atoms. 

"The  Fulton  was  built  with  two  keels,  or  rather  was  in  fact  two 
boats,  joined  together  by  the  upper  works.  The  sides  were  of  im- 
mense thickness,  and  the  whole  frame  was,  when  built,  probably  the 
strongest  of  the  kind  ever  constructed.  But  the  timbers  had  now  be- 
come very  rotten,  and  the  whole  hulk  was,  as  it  were,  kept  together 
by  Its  own  weight.  It  is  supposed  that  the  rotten  state  of  the  vessel, 
makmg  her  timbers  give  way  easily,  rendered  the  destruction  greater 
than  if  she  had  been  new  and  sound. 

•♦  Midshipman  Eckford  was  standing  in  the  starboard  gangway,  and 
was  strangely  tumbled  to  the  mside,  instead  of  being  blown  out  upon 
the  platform.  He  was  then  caught  under  one  of  the  beams,  where 
he  hung  fast  by  one  leg. 

•*  While  he  hung  in  Siis  painful  condition,  not  a  groan,  nor  a  com- 
plaint, nor  a  word  of  supplication  escaped  him.  His  cheek  was  un- 
blanched,  and  his  features  composed,  while  he  held  on  to  the  beam 
With  his  arms  to  keep  his  head  up. 

"  Attemnts  w^rn  mnrlA  tn  mioo  tha  KAam.  kp4  *I.a...  .....  _..-l  _  __-_ 

Pi  matenals  above,  that  no  muscular  force  could  move  it    In  this 


Mn  MivlMi  ill 
■  ok'  it!  ifvin 
certau  oo  thii 
idoiM  had  bMn 
I  laft  Um  dMk, 

.  Thalsdrof 
yem  old,  war* 
t  layi,  Lieutan. 
iMDca  of  Bund, 
ma  he  aaoaped 
len  abaent  ona 
,  Captain  New. 
in  on  boanl  on 

uloua.    Wlian 

board,  the  firat 

•deck,  whither 

ired,  by  metna 

>n. 

I.    The  whole 

1  auch  violence 

finer. 

0  ahip,  aa  mav 

nplete  a  wreck 

erfectly  rotten. 

lenaiona)  hung 

circumatancea 
'he  latter  were 
The  bodiea  of 
lackened,  that 

e  wreck,  after 
k  search  might 
t  the  ebb,  im. 
city,  and  hun. 

18  at  dinner  in 
veatige  of  the 
own  to  atoms. 

n  fact  two 
ere  of  im- 
obably  the 
id  now  be- 
)t  together 
the  vessel, 
on  greater 

gway,  and 
t  out  upon 
US,  where 

or  a  com- 
ic was  un- 
the  beam 


HUTOBIOAL  OOLtlOTIOIft.  $^'  t 

emergency,  Commodore  Chauncey,  witn  great  wromptnest  ordure 
the  jack-icrew  to  be  brought  from  the  shoFeT  iffiZk  Ume  S 
w«.  not  then  the  work  of  a  moment  to  apply  it.  and  bSL  k  iit  ai 
tion  An  hour  went  by,  ere  the  youth  wm  extricatedTSdyet  no^^ 
smgle  murmur  of  impaUence  was  heard  from  his  Ips    fe^J 

hl^rr  '"  '*"?'''°"-  ^'  «»««"ragement  to  those  who  were  aidS 
him-^xclaiming  from  Hme  to  time,  ^  Hurra  my  hearties  r^TKe^ft 
move,!  H.s  only  reproof  was  to  the  sailor,  who,  when  the  bTam 
Thl  [T^  ^"emptocf  rather  rudely,  to  withdraw  the  fracCd  Urn? 

-„♦  n      I,       !  number  of  killed  was  thirty-three,  including  Lieuten- 

«  woundr^llf  r'^  '^'  '^'''  ^°'"^"-    Twenty'-nine  wer?  Tep  "^"j 
as  wounded,  but  there  were  many  more  who  were  slightiy  iniured 
Nearly  every  person  on  board  received  at  least  a  scrS^     ^ 
The  greatest  part  of  the  mischief  was  done  by  the  force  of  the 

liir'^lr'* 'ie''"\'"'  ?^'"  ^«^«  ^"^««  imoeveryp^tof  tS; 
ship.    Captain  iVewton,  who  commanded  the  ship,  emploVed  il  the 

uTrtnnJ;:''^fr'P"'' V'°"   '^'  ^^^^'^^  ^"'l  find  th7bo £,  of    hS 

unfortunate  sufferers.  Twenty-four  were  takep  out  of  the  nSns  at 
tt«  Xr  "'r^""'  of  the  others  were  not  fot^d  till  a  consiSable 

Staten  Island.     Another  got  fastened  to  a  beam,  and  was  picked  ud 
Two  were  picked  out  of  the  water  near  the  wreck."  ^* 

16.  Murder  of  R.  Barher  in  Chittenango. 

fI*'!.!!!.?^^*»?^?°'^^^"^''  ^y  ^«^'''  Wilber,  on  the  lipe  of  the 
Erie  canal  m  h.s  town,  August  30th,  1887,  caused  a  great  sensation 

L^ir'  °^  i'  ^T^'y\  ^^^^"^  ^^r^«r  ^a"  from  Coleraine;  h 
the  northern  part  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  a  man  of  respectabS  tv! 
and  m  easy  circumstances.  He  was  a  widower  of  upwards  of  fifty 
years  of  age,  and  had  children  and  numerous  respectable  relatives  J 
Coleraine.  He  left  home  on  the  28th  of  August,*for  the  purpose  of 
m^I'l^Z  lady  residmg  «t  Onondaga,  N.*V.  On  his  ^ouSaey  to 
Utica  he  became  acquainted  with  wTlber,  who  was  about  81  years 
of  age,  a  native  of  Saratoga,  N.  Y.  This  person  was  of  a  low  ^d 
vicious  character,  and  m  the  habit  of  thieving  from  his  childhood. 

Morris J?lK  fSr*     **"'  """'*"'  "  ^'^'^  ^  P"°P*^«'  P"b"«^«d  '^ 

obil«'™  y^-^'  fint  entertained  the  thought  of  muidering  the  old  man.    For  that 

i  K„^^1.Tk'  TJ  t  P'^u^'^u^  »  commonahoeJmife,  M  he  aaidr-buVauoh  a  om 

teen  ^„.     .?.t'  t""'*-'^"''  ?"*  •  •J»n)  point  and  a  turned  woodmi  haidtoi  itcoSt  eS 

"  C«L.^^  he  wrapped  in  a  paper,  and  carried  it  in  a  pocket  in  the  rid^  "f  S  ^ 

10  wS  ofikiS^.rH^°i  *•  """  ""T-  ^^  ***^>^"y  ^^  took  a  £•  b^;  to 
go  waat,  ot  Which  Edwm  H.  Muogar  wai  captain  J  th«  nwaa  of  the  boat  U  <»uld  not  i» 


-L . 

MU  a  luass 

;.    In  this 


i 


I 


MTOIIOAL  OOLLilOTIOmi. 

•sUmvi.  Nif hi  eomint  •".  ^  I«Jf«d  wgMiMr  tai  til*  mim  bMlh.  liHto  of  tartMWl  •* 
eumd  dunnc  tha  MMf*  until  moniiuf,  whm  Umv  anivMl  v«y  Mrljr  »i  Bun^  Tbtwii, 
on  the  ranal,  in  SmUvm,  about  thiM  milM  tait  of  tho  Chittonaofo  LMding.  Thora,  tho 
boot  htvini  MipvM,  Wilbor  ud  hk  oompuion  (for  lh«r  bad  bjr  ihk  time  beoome  oonaid. 
enbly  Mqiwintml,  ud  the  old  gentlemu  Auniliw  with  Un)  ittfiped  off  ftoin  the  boet. 
went  iaM  the  houee,  and  dnuk  aomelhinf  «t  the  bu  that  thof  eallod  for,  whioh  waa  handed 
W  them  by  a  woman. 

"They  then  walked  along  tha  towpath  to  Lee*!  Bridge  (ao  oaDed,)  about  eighty  rode 
waet,  and  had  eome  oonTemdoa  about  going  on  foot  to  Chittenango  Landing  i  and  at  the 
auggeeUon  of  Wilber,  they  oroaaed  orar  Lee'a  Bridge,  and  took  a  weateriy  direction  in  the 
highway  leading  to  Chittenango  Landing.  They  paaaed  the  eroich  of  the  road  that  leada 
off  towarda  Caneearan,  and  turning  waat,  went  on  bevond  all  tha  houaee  and  buildinga. 
When  they  reached  the  laat  open  fleld  on  the  right,  before  entering  the  wooda,  Wilber  in. 
formed  the  oU  gentleman  that  it  would  loaaon  the  diatanee  to  turn  to  the  right  from  the 
road,  and  oroaa  the  wooda  in  that  direction.  They  accordingly  got  over  the  fence,  and 
walked  in  the  direction  of  the  wooda,  which  thev  aoon  reached  and  entered.  In  the  direc- 
tion they  were  travelling  at  the  time,  the  wooda,  where  they  entered  them,  were  about 
auty  roda  from  the  highway,  and  the  diatanee  through  the  wooda  to  the  canal  (towarda 
which  they  were  g(4ng  at  an  angle  of  about  forty.five  degreea  to  the  general  oouiae  of  the 
eanal.)  muat  be  not  far  from  a  ouarter  of  a  mile. 

^  ••  When  they  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  body  of  the  old  gentleman  waa  aubaequently 
ound,  (eighteen  or  twenty  roda  diatant  from  tha  canal,)  Wifber  aaid  he  took  from  hia 
pocket  the  knife  before  deooribed,  and  a  piatol  diat  ha  carried,  which  at  the  time  waa  not 
charged— and  preaenting  the  piatol  to  the  old  gentleman,  demanded  of  him  hia  money,  at 
the  aame  time  ahowing  him  the  knife.  Here  he  aaid  he  became  much  agitated,  and  appa. 
ranily  more  ao  than  the  dd  gendeman.    Tha  latter  deliberately  took  hia  pockeubook  from 

*  aide.pocket  hi  hia  coat,  and  a  purae  from  hia  pantaloona  pocket— aaying  at  die  aame  dmo, 

*  I  did  not  think  that  of  you— I  thought  you  waa  my  friend.'  Wilber  then  told  him  to  dirow 
down  OM  pocket-book  and  puree,  which  he  did.    •  I  waa  afraid  to  take  them  up,'  aaid  he, 

*  and  told  him  to  lie  down  and  hide  hia  fiice,  and  not  look  up  for  hatf  an  hour.'  He  then 
laid  down  in  the  aame  poaition  in  which  he  lay  when  found,  according  to  the  teatimony  of 
the  witneaaea.  Here  Wilber  reaolved  to  Uke  die  monev  and  leave  him.  He  took  the 
pockeubook  and  purae,  and  aecured  them.  Then,  atan(Ung  by  die  right  aide  of  the  old 
gentleman,  who  lay  on  hia  face,  with  hia  right  hand  under  hia  eyea  and  hia  hat  on  hia  head, 
a  aecond  diought  warned  Wilber  of  die  danger  of  detection  if  the  old  gendeman  ahould 
live ;  and  dirowing  up  the  akirt  of  hia  coat,  widi  a  back-handed  atroke  be  plunged  the  knife 
into  hiB  body,  near  die  bock-bone  and  below  the  ribe.  Thia  ha  repeated  aeveral  times. 
Ha  ^d  Aat  from  die  dme  he  atruck  die  fint  blow  widi  the  knife,  no  aigna  of  life  appeared. 
InoM,  he  never  moved  from  the  original  poaidon  in  which  he  laid  down. 

**  But  diia  aeemed  not  enough,  He  dien  atepped  a  few  pacea  to  die  weat,  and  diinking 
Aat  by  poaaibility  hia  victim  might  aurvive,  he  picked  up  a  large  atone,  and  approaching 
him  aa  he  lay,  direw  it  at  him,  and  it  atruck  hia  head.  Iliia  he  diought  made  the  fracture 
in  (be  akuU  above  the  left  ear,  on  die  back  of  the  head,  which  appeared  when  Uie  body 
waa  found,  and  alao  a  aimilar  correaponding  hole  in  the  hat. 

•*  In  daacribing  diia  acene— which  he  did  widi  a  great  deal  of  accuracy  and  minuteneaa— 
nil  feelinga  fivquendy  overcame  hia  utterance,  and  the  burden  of  hia  thoughta  cbolud  him 
to  ailence.  He  would  pauae,  and  groan  and  weep;  Ad  when  he  apoke  again,  it  would  be 
\j  azclamadona  and  fyaculationa,  accompanied  by  die  moat  frightfid  wridunga,  manifesting 
the  greataat  mental  auffering.  He  declared  diat  if  die  old  gendeman  had  made  the  leut 
reaiatance  or  noiae,  he  ahould  have  fled,  and  left  him  untouched." 

Wilber  after  the  murder  proceeded  on  to  Buffalo,  and  from  thence 
to  Cleaveland,  Ohio,  where  he  was  arrested  in  April,  1838.  After 
Mr.  Barber  was  missed  by  the  captain  of  the  boat,  from  which  he 
went  with  Wilber,  his  trunk  was  kept  on  board  through  to  Buffalo 
and  back  again  to  Albany,  where  he  saw  a  notice  respecting  the  dis- 
appearance of  Mr.  B.  His  suspicions  now  rested  on  Wilber  as  his 
murderer.  Search  was  made  tar  and  near  on  the  north  side  of  the 
canal ;  this  was  in  October,  and  the  winter  passed  away  without  any 
discovery.  In  March,  1888,  the  body  was  accidentally  discovered, 
which  immediately  led  to  the  annrehension  of  Wilber^  He  was  ei* 
ecttted  at  Morrisville,  October  3(f,  189^, 


*Jr- 


\ 


HMTOtlOAl.  OOLLIOTIOm 


17.  Capture  of  the  Spanieh  Schooner  Amutad. 


S89 


In  the  year  1880  quite  a  lenBation  was  created  on  iooount  of  the 
visit  and  capture  of  a  company  of  African  slaves,  within  flv©  or  six 
miles  of  the  light-house  on  Montauk  Point,  the  eastern  extremity  of 
Long  Island.  They  were  taken  by  Capt.  Gedney  of  the  U.  S.  Sur- 
veying bri^  Washington,  and  carried  into  New  London.  The  fol- 
lowing  particulars  were  written  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the  brig : 

Ntw  LoiMn,  Auftut  M,  1839. 

"While  this  veM«|  wm  ■oundinir  thii  daf  between  Owdiner's  tnd  Monteuk  Pointi,  a 
■cnooner  wm  M«n  lying  in-flhore  off  Culioden  Point,  under  circunutanoea  so  auapioioua  aa  to 
authonie  LieutenanUcominundHiit  <  indncy  to  atand  in  to  aen  what  waa  her  character  i  iweing 
a  namber  of  propie  on  the  b«ach  with  carta  and  horMi,  and  a  boat  pa«ing  to  and  (Vo,  a  boat 
was  armed  and  deapatched  with  an  o/llcer  to  board  her.  On  noniing  alongside,  a  number  of 
negroes  were  diacovtrfd  on  h^r  deck,  and  twenty  or  thirty  more  were  on  the  beach— two 
white  men  name  liwwurd  and  clamied  the  protection  of  the  otllcer.  The  schooner  proved  to 
be  the  '  Anuatud,'  Cautam  Uamondues,  from  the  IlBvanna,  bound  lo  Guannjah,  I'ort  Princi- 
pe, with  04  blacks  and  two  paasenaers  on  board ;  the  (orm«r,  (bur  nights  alter  they  were  out, 
rose  and  murdered  the  captam  and  three  of  the  crew— they  then  took  poawasion  of  the  vessel, 
with  the  mtentiun  o(  returning  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  Pedro  Montez,  paaenger,  and  Joaa 
Huw,  owner  of  the  aluves  and  a  part  of  the  cargo,  were  only  saved  to  navigate  the  veawl. 
AAer  boxing  about  for  four  days  in  the  Uahama  channel,  the  veiael  waa  atfered  for  the  Island 
of  8t.  Andrews,  near  New  Providence— from  thence  ahe  went  to  Green  Key,  where  the  blacks 
laid  in  a  supply  of  water.  After  leaving  ihis  place  the  vessel  waa  aleered  by  Pedro  Montei 
for  New  Providence,  the  negroes  being  under  the  impression  that  ahe  waa  steering  for  the 
coaat  of  Africa— they  would  not  however  pennit  her  to  enter  the  port,  but  anchored  every 
night  oti'  the  coaat.  The  situation  of  the  two  whites  waa  all  thia  time  truly  deplorable,  being 
treated  with  the  greWest  severity,  and  Pedro  Montej,  who  had  charge  of  the  navigation,  waa 
suffering  from  two  severe  wounds,  one  on  the  head  and  one  on  the  arm,  theirlivea  bein« 
threatened  every  instant.  He  waa  ordered  to  change  the  course  again  for  the  coaat  of  Africa, 
the  negroea  themselves  steering  by  the  sun  in  the  daytime,  while  at  night  he  would  alter  their 
course  so  as  to  bring  them  back  to  their  original  place  of  destination.  They  remained  dire* 
days  off*  Long  Island,  to  the  eaatward  of  Providence,  after  which  time  they  were  fwo  montbi 
on  the  ocean,  sometimes  steering  to  the  eastward,  and  whenever  an  occasion  would  permit, 
the  whites  would  alter  the  course  to  the  northward  and  westward,  always  in  hopes  ol  falUng 
in  with  some  vessel  of  war,  or  being  enabled  to  run  into  some  port,  when  they  would  be  re- 
lieved from  their  horrid  situation. 

"  Several  times  they  were  boarded  by  vessels ;  once  bv  an  American  schooner  from 
Kingston  ;  on  these  occasions  the  whites  were  ordered  below,  while  the  negroes  commit, 
nicaiod  and  traded  with  the  vessels ;  the  schooner  from  Kingston  supplied  them  with  a  de. 
muohn  of  water  for  the  moderate  sum  of  one  doubloon — this  schooner,  whose  name  waa  not 
ascertained,  finding  that  the  negroea  had  plenty  of  money,  remained  laahcd  alongsid*  the 
*  Amistad'  for  twenty-four  hours,  though  they  must  have  been  aware  that  all  waa  not  right 
on  board,  and  probably  suspected  the  character  of  the  vessel — this  was  on  the  eighteenth 
of  the  present  month ;  the  vessel  was  steered  to  the  northward  and  westward,  and  on  the 
90th  instant,  distant  from  New  York  25  miles,  the  pilot.boat  No.  3  came  alongside  and 
gave  the  negroes  some  apples.  She  was  also  hailed  by  No.  4 ;  when  the  latter  boat  came 
near,  the  negroes  armed  themaelves  and  would  not  permit  her  to  board  them  ;  they  were 
BO  exasperated  with  the  two  whitea  for  bringing  them  so  much  out  of  their  way,  that  thejr 
expected  every  moment  to  be  murdered.  On  the  24th  they  made  Montauk  light,  and 
steered  for  it  in  the  hope  of.running  the  vessel  ashore,  but  the  tide  drifted  them  up  the  bay, 
and  they  anchored  where  they  were  found  by  the  brig  Washington,  off  Culioden  point. 
The  negroea  were  found  in  communication  with  the  shore,  where  £ey  laid  in  a  fresh  supply 
of  wster,  and  were  on  the  point  of  sailing  again  for  the  coast  of  Africa.  They  had  a  good 
supply  of  money,  some  of  which  it  is  likely  was  taken  by  the  people  on  the  beach.  After 
disarming  and  sending  them  on  board  from  the  beach,  the  leader  jumped  overboard  with 
three  hundred  doubloons  about  him,  the  property  of  the  captain,  all  of  which  he  succeeded 
in  losing  from  hia  person,  and  then  submitted  himself  to  be  captured.  The  schooner  waa 
taken  in  tow  by  the  brig  and  carried  into  New  London." 

The  Africans  were  afterward  taken  to  New  Haven ;  and  an  inves- 
tigation was  had  before  the  LTnited  States  court  at  Hartford.  I« 
January,  1840,  their  case  was  tried  before  the  United  States  district 


390 


HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS. 


court.  Judge  Judson  decided  that  they  should  be  delivered  up  to 
the  President  of  the  United  States  to  be  sent  back  to  Africa.  The 
United  State*  attorney  hiiving  appealed  from  this  decision,  the  case 
,was  referred  to  the  Supreme  Court,  at  Washington,  which  set  in 
January,  1841.  This  court  declared  the  freedom  of  the  Africans.  A 
number  of  persons  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  where  the  captives  were 
kept,  interested  themselves  in  their  welfare,  and  gave  them  religious 
and  other  instruction,  and  soon  after  they  were  sent  back  to  Mendi, 
their  native  country,  where  a  promising  mission  is  now  established. 

18.  Rachel  Baker,  the  Somnambulist. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  case  on  record  of  devotional  somni- 
um,  so  called,  is  that  of  Miss  Rachel  Baker  of  this  town.  A  full  his- 
tory of  her  case  may  be  found  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Physico- 
Medical  Society  of  New  York,  vol.  I.  p.  395.  Rachel  Baker  was 
bom  at  Pelham,  Massachusetts,  May  29,  1794.  Her  parents  were 
pious  persons,  and  early  taught  her  the  importance  of  religion.  From 
childhood  she  appeared  to  possess  a  contemplative  disposition ;  but 
her  mind  was  not  vigorous,  nor  was  she  much  disposed  to  improve 
it  by  reading.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  she  removed  with  her  pa- 
rents to  the  town  of  Marcellus  in  the  state  of  New  York.  From 
that  time  she  said  "  she  had  frequently  strong  convictions  of  the  im- 
portance of  eternal  things,  and  the  thoughts  of  God  and  eternity 
would  make  her  tremble."— In  June,  1811,  while  on  a  visit  to  the 
town  of  Scipio,  she  was  deeply  affected  in  witnessing  the  baptism  of 
a  young;  lady,  and  from  that  period  was  impressed  with  a  stronger 
conviction  of  her  own  sinfulness.  On  her  return  to  Marcellus,  she 
endeavored  to  suppress  her  religious  anxiety,  but  in  vain ;  her  anguish 
of  mind  was  fully  depicted  in  her  countenance. 

On  the  evening  of  the  28th  of  November,  while  she  was  sitting  in 
a  chair,  apparently  asleep,  she  began  to  sigh  and  groan  as  if  in  ex- 
cessive pain.  She  had  said  a  short  time  before  that  she  would  live 
only  a  little  while,  and  as  she  now  repeated  the  expression,  her  parents 
were  apprehensive  that  she  was  dying.  This  evening  she  talked 
incoherently ;  but  manifested  in  what  she  said  much  religious  concern. 
She  continued  almost  every  night  talking  in  her  sleep  till  the  27  Jan., 
1812.  On  that  evening,  soon  after  she  had  fallen  asleep,  she  was 
seized  with  a  fit  of  trembling,  shrieked  aloud  and  awoke  in  great 
terror.  Horror  and  despondency  overwhelmed  her  with  the  dread 
of  a  miserable  eternity,  and  of  her  speedy  ind  inevitable  doom.  But 
these  agonizing  feelings  were  soon  succeeded  by  a  calm ;  her  mind 
became  tranquil,  and  in  her  nightly  devotions,  which  were  now  regu- 
lar and  coherent,  she  poured  forth  a  spirit  of  meekness,  gratitude,  and 
love.  From  this  tirne  th,  whole  tenor  of  her  soul  seemed  to  be 
changed.  She  was  incapable  of  expressmg  her  sentiments  clearly 
when  awake ;  but  her  sleeping  exercises  were  so  solemn  and  im 


\ 


HIITOBIOAL  OOLLBOTIONlf.  Sgi 

rdigxom)  ,.e.  .leep  with  religion,  belongs  to  Miss  kaThS  BaS? 
who  for  several  years  has  been  seized  wTth  sotnnium  of  a  rehS 
kind  once  a  day  with  great  regularity.  These  d"  ly  par3,^ 
recur  with  wonderfu^  exactness,  aSd  from  long  prevalenceCeCw 
become  habitual.  They  invade  her  at  early  bedtime  and  a  Tt 
usually  lasts  about  three  quarters  of  anhoi^  %  paroTysm^as  been 
known  to  end  in  36  minutes,  and  to  continue  98     ?hetrlS 

oTter  of'^.'n'!;*  '''''' T  '^'''  9^  «^"^°i"'"  ^'  ^  quick.  tqSly^S 
quarter  of  an  hour,  and  sometimes  even  less.    After  she  retires  from 

GndS?i-7'f^°V^^"  **'«««^«^«^  to  be  occupied  in  prasS 
nrnnin  A  ^"*'"*'  ''"^  "?"°''°"'  ^°i°«-  ^cr  disco  J-ses  are  usSf 
pronounced  m  a  private  chamber,  for  the  purpo.  o  of  deliven^ng  them 

hef  heTr^rs  Xr:  h '^  °^."  P^?  '""^  ^^  ^^'^''^  satisfaction  t" 
ner  Hearers.    She  has  been  advised  to  take  the  recumbent  posture 

Her  face  being  turned  towards  the  heavens,  she  performs  herStly 
h^lT-'^'-  *  consistency  and  fervor  wholfy  unexampLd  in  a 
human  being  in  a  state  of  somnium.  Her  body  and  limbs  are  mo! 
tionless,  they  stir  no  more  than  the  trunk  and  extremities  of  aStatue  • 
the  only  motion  the  spectator  perceives  is  that  of  her  organs  of  speech.' 
J^i^J  •^"*'*l'"'V««tion  of  the  head  and  neck,  as  i/sL  was  inteMly 
engaged  in  performing  an  academic  or  theological  exercise.  Ac- 
r£^§  ^-.^  ^^""^  *"^  solemnity  of  the  addre^  the  attendants  are 
affectea  with  seriousness.    She  commences  and  ends  with  an  address 

rPVPrJ.r"?''  *^'"^°®'f*'!?'''f'°«  of  proper  topics  of  submission  and 
(ZZlfh  ^^P'Ti"^  thanksgiving,  and  of  prayer  for  herself,  her 
liS  *^^pf  "*'^'»'  ?«  nation.  ?oi  enemies,  and  the  human  race  in 
SZf,;  ?®t,^««"  th«"e  IS  her  sermon  or  exhortation.  She  begins 
without  a  text,  and  proceeds  with  an  even  course  to  the  end,  embel- 
lishing it  sometimes  with  fine  metaphors,  vivid  descriptions,  and  poeti- 
cal  quotations.  There  is  a  state  of  the  body  felt  like  groaningfsob- 
bmg.  or  moaning,  and  the  distressful  sound  continues  from  two 
minutes  to  quarter  of  an  hour.  This  agitation,  however,  does  not 
wake  her?  it  gradually  subsides,  and  she  passes  into  a  sound  and 
natural  sleep,  which  continues  during  the  remainder  of  the  night  In 
laL*"??u"*  '^^  ^®'*®"  ??  i^  ^"^^^"^8  ^"^  happened,  and  entirSy  igno 
iTw  t*i?  "c«neV?  "^^'"^^  "^^  *»^»  acted.  She  declares  she  knows 
nothing  of  her  nightly  exercises  except  from  the  information  of  others, 
with  the  exception  of  the  before-mentioned  agitation  of  body  and 
exercise  of  mmd,  she  enjoys  perfect  health.    In  October.  1814,  Miss 

fn^li"^^"  *"?"«•'*/  ^u.r^  ^^^'^  ^y  h«^  frie'ids.  in  hopes  that  her 
somma  exercises,  (which  were  considered  by  some  of  them  as 
owmff  to  disease.)  might  by  the  exercise  of  a  journey  and  the  novelty 
dJr"^ff^l^  bo  removed.  But  none  of  these  means  produced  the 
♦/^w~~i~"'^"  i^er  aequaiuiunccB  stated  that  her  sonmial  exercises 
won  place  ev«ry  night  regularly,  except  in  a  few  instances  when 


~^l 


/ 


803 


IIIBTOXIOAL  OOUiBOTIONS. 


interrupted  by  severe  sickness,  from  the  time  they  commenced  in 
1812.  In  September,  1816,  Dr.  Sears,  by  a  course  of  medical  treat- 
ment, partioiuiEirly  by  the  use  of  opium,  prevented  a  recurrence  of 
her  nighdy  exercises. 


'"%>'«?^''*<***^' 


19.  Abduction  of  William  Morgan. 


Batavia  has  acquired  celebrity  from  its  being  the  place  from  which 
William  Morgan  was  abducted  in  1826,  for  attempting  to  revc  I  the 
secrets  of  free  masonry.  Morgan,  it  appears,  was  bom  in  1774,  in 
Culpepper  county,  Va.  His  occupation  was  originally  that  of  a 
bricklayer  and  stone  mason.  He  removed  from  Virginia  in  1821, 
and  went  to  York,  U.  C. ;  from  thence  he  removed  to  Rochester. 
From  various  misfortunes,  he  became  quite  reduced  in  his  circum- 
stances, and  in  the  summer  of  1826  he.  resided  in  the  village  of  Bata- 
via. While  here,  he  became  connected  with  D.  C.  Miller,  a  printer, 
for  the  purpose  of  publishing  a  work  disclosing  masonic  obligations, 
secret  signs,  &c.  Morgan,  it  appears,  was  a  royal  arch  mason  ;  and 
when  the  fact  became  known  that  he  was  preparing  a  work  to  reveal 
the  secrets  of  masonry,  many  of  the  masonic  fraternity  became  much 
excited,  and  appeared  determined  to  put  an  end  to  his  disclosures. 
For  this  purpose,  his  character  was  assailed  in  the  public  prints.  In 
July,  1826,  Morgan  was  arrested  on  a  civil  suit  at  Batavia,  and  gave 
bail ;  he  was  afterward  arrested  and  hurried  to  jail,  without  time 
^^eing  given  him  to  procure  bail,  and  search  was  made  at  his  lodgings 
for  his  papers  on  some  pretended  process,  the  sheriff  in  the  mean 
time  absenting  himself.  An  attempt  was  afterward  made  to  bum 
down  Miller's  printing  office,  where  "Morgan's  Book"  was  print- 
ing. 

On  Sunday,  Sept.  10th,  application  was  made  to  J.  Chipman,  Esq., 
a  magistrate  of  Canandaigua,  for  a  warrant  to  apprehend  Morgan  for 
stealing  a  shirt  and  cravat,  which  it  appeared  afterward  he  had  only 
borrowed.  The  warrant  being  issued,  the  constable  at  Canandaigua, 
attended  by  five  other  persons  from  that  place,  immediately  set  out 
for  Batavia,  where  they  arrived  in  the  evening.  Early  the  next 
morning,  (Monday,)  Morgan  was  arrested  and  taken  to  the  public 
house  where  the  party  had  slept ;  an  extra  stage-coach  was  procured, 
and  the  party  left  Batavia  for  Canandaigua,  with  Morgan  in  their  cus- 
tody. Miller  attempted  to  procure  the  release  of  Morgan  iust  as  the 
carriage  was  startmg,  but  he  was  pushed  aside,  and  the  driver  was 
urged  to  drive  fast  till  he  should  get  out  of  the  county.  Having 
arrived  in  Canandaigua,  Morgan  in  the  evening  was  taken  before  the 
magistrate  who  had  issued  the  warrant,  and  was  by  him  examined 
antf  discharged.  One  of  the  party  then  immediately  applied  to  the 
same  magistrate  for  a  warrant  against  Morgan  for  a  debt  of  about 
•2,  which  he  said  had  been  assigned  to  him  by  a  tavern  keeper. 
Judgment  was  entered  against  JV&rgan  for  f  2.60,  debt  and  costs, 
and  an  execuuon  immediately  issued.    Mofgsui  took  off  his  coat,  ss-,< 


BWTOJtlOAI.  OOLI.BOTION0. 


993 


offered  it  to  the  constable  to  levy  upon  for  the  debt    Tne  constable 

iay  "*'  "^^^'^  ^^  remeAned  till  the  evening  of TeTxt 

On  the  12th  of  Sept,  about  9  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  wife  of  the 
lailer,  at  the  request  of  the  plaintiff  in  the  executionfconseTted  to  b? 
Morgan  out  of  the  prison.  As  he  was  leavmg  the  jail  Tpsrhe  was 
violently  seized  by  two  persons;  he  struggle!,  and  cried  «mu?dlr' 
a  number  of  times.    Two  other  persons  now  came  up'one  o?  whom 

s  X  in^°l?^'  ""T'^^^  '^'""''^S  a  handkerchief-  or  someS 
similar,  into  his  mouth.  At  a  signal  given  by  one  of  the  party,  a  tw? 
horse  carriage  now  drove  up ;  two  of  the  party  thrust  krgr^to 
the  carriage,  and  then  «ot  in  themselves.  Yhis  carriage  ax^^ed^ 
Rochester  about  day-Jawn  the  next  morning.     Another  carriL^ 

TrrfvK"  N  '  ^^  '"^T  ""^  ^''''''  ^^^^  °^t^^«^-  When  the  paify 
TrTff  nf  M^"^  ^"^^^  ^^^"^  ^  "^'^^  fr°"^  Lockport,  they  sent  to  the 
sheriff  of  Niagara  county,  to  assist  them  in  getting  Jftorgan  into 

anT±«t  H  ^h  '^""^  ^•^^ordindy  left  Lockpor^  attended  trparty! 
and  assisted  them  m  procuring  Wses,  &c.  They  arrived  at  Lewi- 
ton  about  midnight;  here  another  carriage  was  procured,  and  the 
party  was  driven  to  the  burying  ground  near  Fort  NiagarL  Here 
they  left  the  carriage  and  proceeded  with  Morgan  in  thdr  custody  to 
the  ferry,  and  crossed  over  to  the  Canada  side.  After  conferring  with 
a  number  of  persons  in  Niagara  village,  Morgan  was  brought  back, 
as  arrangements  had  not  been  compfeted  for  his  reception.  This 
event  it  appears  had  been  anticipated.  Morgan  was  taken  to  the 
magazine  of  Fort  Niagara,  and  locked  in  before  day-dawn.  on  the 
mornmg  of  the  14th  of  September.  .   "  "ic 

On  the  day  that  Morgan  was  put  into  the  magazine,  a  royal  arch 
chapter  was  installed  at  Lewiston,  which  event  called  together  a 
considerable  assemblage  of  masons  from  the  vicinity.  « In  the  even- 
ing, 20  or  30  persons  came  to  the  fort  from  Lewiston.  About  mid- 
night, 7  persons,  stated  to  be  royal  arch  masons,  held  a  consultation 
on  the  plain  near  the  graveyard,  as  to  the  manner  m  which  Morgan 
should  be  disposed  of.  The  prevaihng  opinion  among  them  appeared 
to  be,  that  Morgan  had  forfeited  his  life  for  a  breach  of  his  masonic 
obhgations,  and  that  they  ought  to  see  the  penalty  executed  by 
drowning  him  in  the  river ;  some  of  the  company  discovering  a  r^ 
luctance  to  go  to  such  lengths,  the  project  was  abandoned  at  that  time, 
un  the  mght  of  the  16th,  a  similar  consultation  was  held  between 
jour  persons,  but  nothing  was  decided  on.  «  As  to  the  disposition  of 
Morgan,  after  the  evening  of  the  14th  of  September,  nothing  has  yet 
been  known  judicially,  but  circumstances  are  strong,  to  induce  the 

Sf  u  ^.^  "®  ^^^  P"*  ^°  ^^^^^  o»  t^e  night  of  the  19th  of  Sept, 
1826,  by  bemg  cast  irto  the  depths  of  Niagara  river." 

60 


8M 


H^BTOBIOAL  OOLLBOTIONI. 


/ 


20.  Conflagration  of  the  Phoenix,  Sept.  6,  1819. 

The  •tewnboat  left  Burlington  for  Plattiburg  about  midnight,  and  had  proceeded  by  one 
o'olook  in  the  morning  aa  far  aa  Providence  island,  when  the  nlarm  waa  ^ven.    The  boat 

a*<***«i%„^*»vit  this  lime  waa  temporarily  commanded  by  a  son  of  the  cnptmn,  Richord  M.  Sherman,  a 
young  man  of  twonty.two.    "  Amid  the  confusion,  danger,  and  difficulties  attendant  on  thia 

"*  terrible  disaster,  he  displayed  an  energy  and  presence  of  mind,  not  only  worthy  of  the 

highest  praise,  but  which  we  might  seek  for  in  vain,  even  among  those  of  npor  years.  To 
qualitioa  like  these,  rightly  directed  as  they  were,  was  it  owing  that  not  a  ptrtonwattott 
on  that  fearful  night.  In  that  burning  vessel,  at  the  dead  of  night,  and  three  miles  from 
the  nearest  land,  was  the  safety  of  tvtry  ma  cared  for,  and  ultimately  secured,  by  the 
promptness,  energy,  and  decision  of  this  young  commander." 
Shortly  after  tho  fire  was  discovered,  it  raged  with  irresistible  violence.       The  paasen. 

5ers,  roused  by  the  alarm  from  their  slumbers,  and  waking  to  a  ter-iblo  sense  of  impending 
estruction,  rushed  in  crowds  upon  the  deck,  and  attempted  to  seixe  Die  small-boats. 
Here,  however,  they  wore  met  by  young  Shermon,  who,  having  abandoned  all  hope  of 
saving  his  boat,  now  thought  only  of  saving  his  passengers,  and  stood  by  the  gangway  with 
a  pistol  in  eoch  hand,  determined  to  jlroVent  any  person  from  jumping  into  the  boats  be- 
fore they  were  property  lowered  into  the  water,  and  prepared  to  roceivo  their  living  freight. 
With  the  utmost  coolness  and  presence  of  mind  ho  superintended  the  necessary  prepara. 
tions,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  tho  boats  ^ero  lowered  away,  and  the  passengers  received 
safely  on  board.  They  then  shoved  off,  and  pulled  through  the  darkness  for  tho  distant 
shore.  As  soon  as  this  was  reached,  and  the  passengers  landed,  the  boats  returned  to  tho 
steamboat  k-\  took  off  the  crew,  and,  as  the  captain  supposed,  every  living  soul  except 
himself.  But,  shortly  after  the  boats  had  left  tho  second  time,  ho  discovered,  under  a  set- 
tee, the  chambermaid  of  the  Phojnix,  who,  in  her  fright  and  confusion,  hod  lost  all  con- 
■ciousnoRs.  Loshing  her  to  tho  plahk  which  he  had  prepared  for  his  own  escape,  ♦his  gal- 
lant captain  launched  her  towards  the  shore  ;  and  was  thus  left  alone  with  his  vessel,  now 
one  burning  pile.  Having  satisfied  himself  that  no  living  thing  remained  on  board  his  boat, 
and  with  the  proud  consciousness  that  ho  hod  saved  every  life  intrusted  to  his  core,  he 
■pning  from  the  burning  wreck  ns  it  was  about  to  sink  beneath  the  waters,  and,  by  the 
means  of  a  settee,  reached  the  shore  in  safety.— This  is  no  exaggerated  story.  It  is  tho 
simple  narrative  of  one  of  the  most  heroic  acts  on  record.  We  hove  only  to  add,  that  the 
capiain  who  so  faithfully  and  foartessly  discharged  hie  duty  on  this  trying  occasion,  is  still 
(1840)  in  commond  of  a  noble  boat  on  Lake  Champlain,  and  is  known  to  every  traveller 
as  Captain  Sherman,  of  the  steamboat  Burlington." 

The  following  description  of  this  terrific  scene  waa  written  by  one  of  the  passengers : — 
"  I  awoke  ut  the  tinio  of  the  alarm,  but  whether  aroused  by  the  cry  of  fire,  the  noise  of  feet 
trampling  on  deck,  or  by  that  restlessness  common  to  persons  who  sleep  in  a  strange  place, 
with  n  mind  filled  with  sorrow  and  anxiety,  I  am  unable  to  tell.  I  thought  I  heard  a  faint 
cry  of  fire,  and,  after  a  short  interval,  it  seemed  to  be  renewed.  But  it  came  so  weakly 
upon  my  ear,  and  seemed  to  be  flung  by  so  careless  a  voice,  that  I  concluded  it  was  on 
unmeaning  sound  uttered  by  some  of  tho  sailors  in  thoir  sports  on  deck.  Soon,  however,  a 
hasty  footstep  was  heard  passing  through  the  cabin,  but  without  a  word  being  uttered.  As 
I  approached  the  top  of  the  cobin  staira,  an  uncommon  brilliancy  at  once  dispelled  all 
doubts.  Instantly  tho  flames  and  sparks  began  to  meet  my  eyes,  and  the  tliought  struck 
me  that  no  other  way  of  escape  wos  left  but  to  plunge  half  naked  through  the  blaze  into  the 
water.  One  or  two  more  steps  assured  me  that  this  dreadful  alternative  was  not  yet  ar- 
rived :  I  hastily  stepped  aft, — a  lurid  light  illuminated  every  object  beyond  with  the  splen- 
dor  of  a  noon-day  sun ;  I  fancied  A  was  the  torch  of  death,  to  point  me  and  my  fellow, 
travellers  to  Ae  tomb.  I  saw  no  person  on  deck ;  but,  on  casting  my  eyes  towards  the  boat 
which  was  still  hanging  on  the  larboard  quarter,  I  perceived  that  she  was  filled,  and  that 
her  stem-sheets  were  occupied  with  ladies.  I  flew  to  tht  gangway,  and  assisted  in  lower- 
ing the  boat  into  the  water.  I  then  descended  the  steps,  with  an  intention  of  entering  the 
boat  i  but  perceiving  that  ahe  waa  loaded  deep,  and  that  there  was  a  strong  breeze  and  a 
high  sea,  I  desisted.  The  painter  was  soon  cut,  and  the  boat  dropped  oatem.  I  ascended 
the  steps  with  the  design  of  submitting  myself  to  the  water  upon  a  plank  j  for  I  had  great 
confidence  in  my  skill  in  swimming,  and  I  acted  under  an  impression  that  tho  shore  was 
only  a  few  rods,  certainly  not  half  a  mile  distant.  Judge  of  what  would  have  been  my  as- 
tonishment,  and  probably  also  my  fate,  had  I  done  as  I  contemplated;  when  the  fact  was, 
that  the  steamboat  at  thii  period  was  ia  the  bro&deat  part  of  Lake  Caunplain,  tus.  at  least 


\ 


HIITOBIOAI.  OOLtBOTIONI. 


896 


thraa  milM  from  any  land.  I  had  laft  tha  daok  about  two  howa  bafora,  and  thia  ehanm 
had  ooourrad  in  the  moan  time.  I  looicod  round  upon  tha  daok  to  find  a  auitable  board,  or 
aomathing  of  lufflciont  buoyancy,  that  I  oould  truat  to  amid  auoh  wavaa  aa  I  law  were  run. 
ning<  There  waa  nothing  lartfo  enough  to  deiorve  luch  confidence ;  I  looked  aft  over  tha 
taflrail,  every  thing  there  looked  gloomy  and  forbidding;  I  caat  my  oyoi  forward,  the  wind 
waa  directly  ahead,  and  the  flnmea  were  forced,  in  the  moat  terrific  manner,  lowarda  tha 
atom,  threatoninjj  every  thing  in  ita  range  with  instant  deatruction.  I  then  thought  if  I 
oould  paaa  the  middle  of  the  boat,  which  aenmod  nlMo  to  be  the  centre  of  the  fire,  I  might 
find  aeounty  in  atanding  to  windward  on  the  bowoprit.  I  made  the  attempt.  It  wu  vain. 
The  flamea  were  an  iniurniountable  barrier.  I  waa  obliged  to  return  towarda  the  atom. 
There  waa  then  no  one  in  eight.  1  ateppod  over  upon  the  starboard  aide  of  the  quarter- 
deck. I  thought  all  waa  gone  with  me.  At  that  moment  I  saw  a  lady  oome  up  to  the 
cabin  door ;  she  leaned  againat  the  side  of  it,  and  looked  with  a  steadfaat  gaxe  and  dia. 
traoted  air  towards  the  flamei ;  she  turned  and  disappeared  in  the  cabin.  It  wu  Mra.  WiU 
aon,  the  poor  unfortunate  lady  who,  afterward,  with  the  captain'e  assistance,  aa  he  informed 
me,  committed  herself,  with  many  piercing  shrieks  and  agoniiiiig  exclamations,  to  the 
treaoheroua  aupport  of  a  small  bench,  on  the  troubloua  boaom  of  the  lake.  I  then  looked 
over  the  starboard  quarter  to  know  whether  the  other  boat  waa  indeed  gone.  I  had  tha 
happiness  to  see  her ;  she  seemed  to  be  full,  or  nearly  so ;  one  or  two  pasaengera  were 
atanding  on  the  lower  steps  of  the  accommodation  ladder,  apparently  with  the  design  of 
entering  the  boat  when  she  came  within  roach.  I  was  determined  to  enter  her  at  all  risks, 
and  instantly  leaped  over  the  nuartur  and  deacondod  into  hor.  I  found  her  knocking  under 
the  counter,  and  in  danger  of  foundering.  The  steani.veseol  still  continued  to  advance 
through  the  water ;  the  waves  dashed  the  boat  with  considi^rnble  violence  against  her,  and 
most  of  those  who  had  sought  safety  in  the  boat,  being  unacquainted  with  water  acenes, 
were  much  alarmed,  and  by  ihuir  ill.dirocted  efforts  were  adding  to  the  risk.  Under  these 
oircumstancos  it  became  neccmary  to  cut  the  fast,  which  was  done,  and  the  boat,  and  those 
that  were  in  it,  were  instantly  secure.  All  these  incidents  occurred  in  a  shorter  time  than 
I  have  consumed  in  writing  them.  From  the  moment  of  my  hearing  the  first  alarm  to  that 
of  leaving  the  ateamboat,  was  not,  I  am  satisfied,  near  ten  minutes  {  I  believe  it  waa  not  five." 


91.  Wreck  of  the  Mexico. 


/ 


The  wreck  of  the  Mexipo,  on  Hempstead  beach,  January  2,  1887, 
was  a  heart-rending  scene.  Being  in  the  dead  of  winter,  the  suffer- 
inas  of  the  unhappjr  crew  find  passengers  from  the  cold  were  intense. 
The  annexed  description  of  their  appearance  after  4eath  is  given  by 
an  eye-witness. 

"  On  reaching  Hempstead,  I  concluded  to  go  aomewhat  oflf  the  road,  to  look  at  the  place 
where  the  ship  Mexico  waa  cast  away.  In  half  an  hour,  we  came  to  I^ott'a  tavern,  some 
four  or  five  miles  this  side  of  the  beach,  where  the  ship  ley;  and  there,  in  his  barn,  had 
been  deposited  the  bodies  of  the  ill-fated  passengers,  which  hod  been  thrown  upon  tha 
shore.  I  went  out  to  the  barn.  The  doors  were  open,  and  such  o  scene  as  presented  it- 
self to  my  view,  I  certainly  never  could  have  contemplated.  It  was  a  dreadful,  a  frightful 
scene  of  horror. 

"  Forty  or  fifty  bodies,  of  all  ages  and  sexes,  were  lyjng  promiscuously  before  me  over 
the  floor,  all  frozen  and  as  solid  as  marble — and  all,  except  c  few,  in  the  very  dresses  in 
which  they  perished.  Home  with  their  hands  clenched,  as  if  for  warmth,  and  almoat  every 
one  with  an  arm  crooked  and  bent,  as  it  would  be  iu  clinging  to  the  rigging. 

"  There  wore  scattered  about  among  the  number,  four  or  five  beautiful  little  girls,  bom 
six  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  their  cheeks  and  lipa  oa  rod  as  roses,  with  their  calm  blue  eyea 
open,  looking  you  in  tho  face,  as  if  they  would  speak.  I  could  hardly  realize  that  they 
were  dead.  I  touched  their  cheeks,  and  they  were  frozen  aa  hard  and  aa  solid  aa  a  rock, 
and  not  the  leaat  indentation  could  b«t  made  by  any  pressure  of  the  hand.  I  could  perceive 
a  resemblance  to  each  other,  and  supposed  theni  to  be  the  daughters  of  a  paaaenger  named 
Pepper,  who  perished,  together  with' his  wife  and  all  the  family. 

"  On  the  arma  of  some,  were  seen  the  impresaiona  of  the  rope  which  they  had  clung  to, 
the  mark  of  the  twiat  deeply  sunk  into  the  flsah.  I  aaw  one  poor  negro  aailor,  a  tall  man, 
with  hii  head  thrown  back,  hia  lips  parted,  sod  bia  now  aightiesB  STO-balls  iuinad  opwaids, 


r 


* 


i^STOKlOAL  COIVLBOTIONt. 

aid  his  vnm  croMed  wtt  hit  breaat,  m  if  imploring  heaven  for  aid.    This  poor  fcUow  «vi. 
deitdy  had  froien  while  in  the  act  of  fervent  prayer. 

"  One  female  had  a  rope  tied  to  her  leg,  which  had  bound  her  to  the  rigj^ng ;  and  anoth. 
er  little  fellow  had  been  crying,  and  was  thua  frozen,  with  the  miuclea  of  the  ftoe  just  aa 
we  see  childrm  when  crying.  There  were  a  brother  and  a  sister  dashed  upon  the  beach, 
locked  in  each  other's  arms ;  but  they  had  been  separated  in  the  bam.  All  the  men  had 
•v%,,^"stPwi'up«  firmly  compressed  together,  and  with  the  moat  agonizing  expieaaion  on  their 
countenances  I  ever  beheld. 

"  One  litde  girl  had  raised  herself  on  tiptoe,  and  thus  was  frozen,  just  in  that  position.  It 
was  an  awful  sight;  and  such  a  picture  of  horror  was  before  me,  that  I  became  uncon. 
■ciously  fixed  to  the  spot,  and  found  myself  trying  to  suppress  my  ordinary  breathing,  lest 
I  should  disturb  the  repose  of  those  around  me.  I  was  aroused  from  the  revery  by  the 
•atrance  of  a  man — a  coroner. 

"  As  I  was  about  to  leave,  my  attention  became  directed  to  a  girl,  who,  I  afterward 
learned,  had  come  that  morning  frum  the  city  to  search  for  her  sister.  She  had  sent  for 
her  to  come  over  firom  England,  and  had  received  intelligence  that  she  was  in  this  ship. 
She  came  into  the  bam,  and  the  second  body  she  cast  her  eyes  upon,  was  heis.  She  gave 
#ay  to  such  a  burst  of  impassioned  grief  and  anguish,  that  I  could  not  behold  her  without 
jAanng  m  her  feelings.  She  threw  herself  upon  the  cold  and  icy  face  and  neck  of  the 
hfeleas  body,  a;.  I  thus,  with  her  arms  around  her,  remained  wailing,  mourning,  and  sob 
bmg,  all  I  came  away ;  and  when  some  distance  off,  I  could  hear  her  calling  her  by  name 
m  the  most  frantic  manner. 

"  So  little  time,  it  appears,  had  they  to  prepare  for  their  fate,  that  I  perceived  a  bunch  of 
keys,  and  a  half  eater  ;t\e,  fall  from  the  bosom  of  a  girl  whom  the  coroner  was  removins 
The  cake  appeared  as  u  part  of  it  had  just  been  bitten,  and  hastily  thrust  into  her  bosom, 
ana  round  her  neck  was  a  riband,  with  a  pair  of  scissors. 

».  "AJ^^  *  l  "**®"'®  *"  **"*"'  r"»«ed  sailors,  too,  whose  iron  frames  could  endure  so  much 
hartshij^— here  they  lay  masses  of  ice.  Such  scenes  show  us,  indeed,  how  powerless  and 
feeble  are  all  human  efforts,  when  contending  againat  the  storms  and  tempests,  which  sweep 
with  resistless  violence  over  the  face  of  the  deep.  And  yet  the  vessel  was  so  near  the 
shore,  that  the  shrieks  and  moans  of  the  poor  creamree  were  heard  through  that  bitter 
dreadful  night,  till  towards  morning,  when  the  last  groan  died  away,  and  all  was  hushed  in 
death,  and  the  murmur  of  the  raging  billows  was  aU  the  sound  that  then  met  the  ear." 

A  monument  is  now  erected  at  Near  Rockaway,  four  miles  s.  w. 
of  Hempstead  village,  to  the  memory  of  the  sufferers  of  the  Mexico, 
and  also  to  the  memory  of  77  persons  comprising  passengers  and 
crew  of  the  American  ship  Bristol,  wrecked  on  Far  Rockaway  beach, 
November  21, 1836.  The  marble  monument,  eighteen  feet  high,  was 
erected  partly  by  money  found  on  the  persons  of  the  sufferers,  and 
partly  by  the  contributions  of  the  benevolent  and  humane  in  Queens 
countjr.  The  grave  is  about  nine  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  long, 
cohtaining  the  bodies  of  nearly  one  hundred  individuals. 

22.  An  Account  of  Joseph  Smith  and  Mormonism. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  Mormonism,  was  bom  in  Royalton,  Vt.,  and  removed  to 
Manchester,  Ontario  county,  N.  Y.,  about  the  year  1820,  at  an  early  age,  with  his  parents. 
Who  were  m  quite  humble  circumstances.  He  was  occasionally  employed  in  Palmyra  as 
a  laborer,  and  bore  the  reputation  of  a  lazy  and  ignorant  young  man.  According  to  the 
testimony  of  respectable  individuals  in  that  place.  Smith  and  his  father  were  persons  of 
donbtnil  moral  character,  addicted  to  disreputable  habits,  and  moreover  (ifirernely  supersti. 
ftous,  believing  in  the  existence  of  witchcraft.  They  at  one  time  profi  ;■  i  a  mineral  rod, 
and  dug  in  varioua  places  fo?  money.  Smith  testified  that  wh^-n  diggin,^  he  had  seen  the 
ot  or  chest  containing  the  r;'„*3ure,  but  never  was  fortunate  enough  .'  jret  it  into  his  hands 
le  placed  #  singular  lookiug  itone  in  his  hat,  and  pretended  h^  i,ie  light  of  it  to  make 


\ 


\ 


UMTOIIOAL  COLLKOTIONI, 


897 


mtnjr  wonderful  diMorarioa  of  gold,  lilver,  and  other  treuurei,  depoiited  in  the  earth.  Ho 
commenced  hia  career  as  the  founder  of  the  new  eect  when  about  the  age  of  18  or  19,  and 
appointed  a  number  of  meeting!  in  Palmyra,  for  the  purpoee  of  declaring  the  divine  revela. 
tiona  which  he  aaid  were  made  to  him.  He  wa»,  however,  unable  to  produce  any  excite, 
ment  in  the  village ;  but  very  few  had  curioaity  aufficient  to  liaten  to  him.  Not  having 
the  meana  to  print  hi*  revelationa,  he  applied  to  Mr.  Crane,  of  the  eociety  of  Fiianda,  de. 
daring  that  he  waa  moved  by  the  ipirit  to  call  upon  him  for  aaaistance.  Thie  gentlemu 
bid  him  to  go  to  work,  or  the  atate  prison  would  end  his  career.  Smith  had  better  auoceoa 
with  Martin  Harris,  an  industrious  and  thrifty  farmer  of  Palmyra,  who  was  worth  about 
$10,000,  and  who  become  one  of  his  leading  disciples.  By  his  assistance,  5,000  copies  of 
the  Mormon  Bible,  (so  called,)  were  published  at  an  expense  of  about  93,000.  It  is  posn. 
ble  that  Harris  might  have  made  the  advances  with  the  expectation  of  a  profitable  specula, 
tion,  as  a  great  sale  was  anticipated.  This  work  is  a  duodecimo  volume,  containing  590 
pages,  and  is  perhaps  one  of  the  weakest  productions  ever  attempted  to  be  palmed  oif  as  a 
divine  revelation.  I«^ia  mostly  ^  Mind  mass  of  woMlSi  interwoven  with  scriptural  language 
and  quotations,  without  mucFi  of  a  leading  plan  or  design.  It  is  in  fact  such  a  production 
as  might  be  expected  from  a  person  of  Smith's  abiUties  and  turn  of  mind.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  the  title  page : 

"Thb  Book  or  MoaHow :  ah  aocodmt  waiTTtii  by  ths  hand  or  MoaMON,  won  rLATSs  takbm  raoM 

THI  PbATSI  of  NirHI. 

"  Wherefbri!  It  ii  an  abrtdgment  of  the  raoord  of  the  people  of  Neplil,  and  aim  of  the  LamanltM ;  written 
Ui  the  Lamanllei,  which  are  a  remnant  of  the  bouie  nf  hrael,  and  alio  to  th*  Jew  and  Uentlle,  written  bv 
way  nf  eoinmandment,  and  alio  by  the  iplrit  of  Prophecy  and  Hevelat»on.  Written  and  leaied  up  and  hid 
up  to  the  Loan  that  they  may  not  be  detiroyed,  to  come  forth  by  the  gift  and  power  of  Ood  unto  the  inter 
prutailon  thereof,  lealed  by  the  hand  of  MotvHii  and  hid  up  unto  the  Loan  to  come  forth  In  due  time  by  the 
way  of  the  OenUle:  the  interpretation  thereof  by  the  gift  of  Qod,  an  abridgmont  taken  tiom  the  book  of 
Ether.  Aleo,  which  If  a  Record  of  the  People  of  Jared,  which  were  icattwred  at  tlie  time  the  Loan  con- 
founded the  language  of  tlie  people  when  they  were  building  a  tower  to  get  to  Heaven,  which  li  to  ihew 
unto  the  remnant  of  the  Iwiue  of  Iirau!  how  great  thlngi  tin;  Loao  hath  done  unto  their  fatheri,  and  that 
thty  may  know  the  covenania  of  the  Lord,  and  that  they  are  nut  cait  off  forever ;  and  aim  to  the  canvinclna 
of  the  Jew  and  Gentile,  that  Jiiui  la  the  CuaiiT,  the  Etirnal  God,  manlfeitlng  Hiinielf  unto  all  naUoiu. 
And  now  If  tiiere  are  fHulu  It  be  the  mlatake  of  men,  wherefore  condemn  not  the  thinn  of  God  that  ye  mar 
be  found  ipotlea  at  the  Judgment  leal  of  Cbrlat. 

"  By  Joieph  Smith,  Junior,  Author  and  Proprietor,  Palmyra.  Printed  by  B.  B.  Orandin,  for  the  Author, 
1830." 

At  the  close  of  the  book  is  "  the  testimony  of  three  witnesses,"  viz :  Oliver  Cowdery, 
David  Whitmer,  and  Martin  Harris,  in  which  they  state  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues 
and  people,  that  they  have  seen  the  plates  containing  the  record,  and  the  engravings  upon 
them.  See.  On  the  last  page  is  contained  the  testimony  of  eight  witnesses,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  copy : 

•■  Be  it  known  unto  all  nationi,  kindred,  tongues,  and  people,  unto  whom  this  book  ihall  come,  that  Joseph 
Smith,  Jr.,  Che  Author  and  Proprietor  of  thii  work,  hath  ihewed  unto  us  the  plates  of  which  hath  been 
spoken,  which  have  the  appearance  of  gold ;  and  aa  many  of  the  leaves  aa  the  aald  Smith  ha<  tramlnled  wa 
did  hnndle  with  our  hands,  and  we  aim  Raw  the  engravings  tbereoti  all  of  which  had  the  appearance  of 
ancient  work  and  of  curious  workmansliip.  And  this  we  bear  record,  with  words  of  mbemess,  that  the  said 
Smith  has  Shown  unu>  us,  for  we  have  seen  and  HarraD,  and  know  of  a  surety  that  the  said  Smith  has  got 
the  plates  of  which  we  have  spoken.  And  we  give  our  names  unto  the  workt  that  which  we  tiave  seen  and 
we  lie  not,  Ood  bearing  wimess  of  It.  Christian'  WhHmer,  Jacob  Whitmer,  Pete;  WbiOner,  Jr.,  John 
Whitmer,  Hiram  Page,  Josoph  Smith,  Senior,  Hyrum  SmlUi,  Samuel  H.  Smith." 

In  the  preface.  Smith  states  "  that  the  plates  of  which  have  been  spoken,  were  found  in 
the  township  of  Manchester,  Ontario  county.  New  York." 

It  is  stated  by  persons  in  Palmyra,  that  when  he  exhibited  these  plates  to  his  followers^ 
they  were  done  up  in  a  canvas  bag,  and  Smith  made  the  declaration,  that  if  they  uncovered 
them,  the  Almighty  would  strike  them  dead.  It  is  said  that  no  one  but  Smith  could  read 
what  was  engraved  upon  them ;  which  he  was  enabled  to  do  by  looking  through  a  peculiar 
kind  of  spectacles  fouiid  buried  with  the  plates. 

Soon  after  the  publication  of  the  Mormon  Bible,  one  Parley  B.  Pratt,  »  resident  of  Lor 
rain  county,  Ohio,  happening  to  pass  through  Palmyra,  on  the  canal,  hearing  of  the  new 
religion,  called  on  the  prophet  and  was  soon  converted.  Pratt  was  intimate  with  Sidney 
Rigdon,  a  very  popular  preacher  of  the  denomination  called  "  Reformers"  or  "  IXscipleai^ 
About  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Pratt  at  Manchester,  the  Smiths  were  fitting  out  an  expe. 
dition  for  the  western  country,  under  the  command  of  Cowdery,  in  order  to  convert  the 
Indians  or  Lamanites,  as  they  termed  them.  In  October,  1830,  this  mission,  consisting  of 
Cowdery,  Pratt,  Peterson,  a.id  Whitmer,  arrived  at  Mentor,  Ohio,  the  residence  of  Rigdon, 
welt  supplied  with  the  new  Eibles.  Near  this  place,  in  Kirtland,  there  were  a  few  families 
belongiiMT  to  Rigdon's  congregation,  who  hikving  become  extremely  fanatical,  were  daily 
■00r.:ng  lOf  sOiiit  woiiucfful  event  to  take  piscc  in  the  world.  Scvcniccn  of  these  pcraons 
readily  beUeved  in  Mormonism,  and  wer«  all  rcimmersed,  in  on*  night,  by  Cowdery.    By 


-,»«ini»N(»t«*'^' 


398 


/ 


1II8TOU1CAL  COLLECTIONS. 

a'- 


Tht  Mormon  Hill. 

[The  above  li  h  northern  view  of  the  Mormon  Hill  In  the  town  of  Miineheiter,  about  3  milei  In  •  Miithem 
direction  fruni  Palmyra.  It  In  about  MOfeut  in  height,  and  iaanptwlint-nof  theroruiornuuierouieluviitloM 
In  thi*  aection  of  iliu  state.  It  derive*  lla  name  from  being  th»  hiioi,  (II  we  are  to  credit  the  teitimony  of  Jo- 
seph SmlUi,)  where  itie  plate*  containing  tlie  Book  of  Mormon  were  found.] 

the  converaion  of  Rigdun,  soon  after,  Mormonian\  received  a  powerful  impetus,  and  more 
than  one  hundred  converts  were  spocdily  added.  .  Rigdon  visited  Smith  at  Palmyra,  where 
he  tarried  about  two  months,  receiving  revelations,  preaching,  &c.  He  then  returned  to 
Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  was  followed  a  few  days  after  by  the  prophet  Smith  and  hia  connec- 
^  tiona.    Thus  from  a  state  of  almost  beggary,  the  family  of  Smith  were  furnished  with  the 

^.  "  fat  of  the  land"  by  their  disciples,  many  of  whom  were  wealthy. 

^^  A  Mormon  temple  was  erected  at  Kirtland,  at  an  expense  of  about  950,000.    In  this 

building,  there  was  a  sacred  apartment,  a  kind  of  holy  of  holies,  in  which  none  but  the 
priests  were  allowed  to  enter.  An  unsuccessful  application  was  made  to  the  legislature  for 
the  charter  of  a  bank.  Upon  the  refusal,  they  established  an  unchartered  institution,  com. 
menced  their  banking  operations,  issiied  their  notes,  and  made  extensive  loans.  The 
society  now  rapidly  increased  in  wealth  and  numbers,  of  whom  many  were  doubtless  drawn 
thither  by  mercenary  motives.  But  the  bubble  at  last  burst.  The  bank  being  an  unchar. 
tered  institution,  the  debts  due  were  not  legally  collectable.  With  the  failure  of  this  insti. 
tution,  the  society  rapidly  declined,  and  Smith  was  obliged  to  leave  the  state  to  avoid  the 
Bheriff.  Most  of  the  sect,  with  their  leader,  removed  to  Missouri,  where  many  outrages 
were  perpetrated  against  them.  The  Mormons  raised  an  armed  force  to  "dnve  off  the 
infidels;"  but  were  finally  obliged  to  leave  the  state. 

The  next  stand  made  by  the  Mormons  was  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  a 
fine  location  on  the  Mississippi  river.  Here  they  erected  a  splendid 
temple,  around  which  they  built  their  city,  which  at  one  time  con- 
tained 10,000  inhabitants.  But  soon  dimculttes  arose,  as  in  other 
places,  between  them  and  the  surrounding  inhabitants.  By  some 
process  of  law  Joseph  Smith  (the  prophet)  and  his  brother  Hyram 
were  imprisoned  in  the  Carthage  jail,  near  Nauvoo,  and  a  guard  of 
eight  or  ten  men  were  stationed  at  the  jail  fur  their  protection.  While 
here,  on  the  evening  of  June  27th,  1844,  an  armed  mob  of  about  200 
men,  in  disguise,  broke  through  the  guard,  and  firing  into  the  prison, 
killed  both  Joseph  Smith  and  his  brother  Hyram. 

The  Mormons  being  convinced  that  they  could  not  dwell  in  safety 
in  the  settled  parts  of  the  United  States,  sought  a  place  of  refuge  be- 
yond the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  July,  1847,  a  pioneer  party  of  Mor- 
mons laid  the  foundation  of  Salt  Lake  City,  2,100  miles  west  of  New 
York,  and  550  east  of  San  Francisco.  Since  this  period  the  colony 
has  rapidly  advanced  in  wealth  and  population, 


8i)9 


TABLE 

or 

POST-OFFICES  IN  NEW  YORK 


ON  JANUARY  Ist,  1861. 


COMPILED    FROM    OFFICIAL    DOOUMKNTS. 


rott-occM. 


Aoademy  

Aooord  

Acts 

Adam* 

Adtini' BiMin 

Adams'  OenUir 

AdsmsvUle 

Addlwn  

Adlrundao  

Adrlaiioe 

Akrun 

AlabaiiM 

Albany 

Albion 

Alden 

Alder  Uruak 

Alexander 

Aluxandrla 

Alexandria  Center. . 

Alflred 

AU'red  Center 

Allen 

Allen  Center 

Allen'*  HUl 

Alluway 

Almond 

Alpa ,. 

Aluy 

Alton 

Amaganwtt 

Amt>er 

Amboy 

Amboy  Center 

Amenta 

AraeniA  Union 

Ames 

Amesvllle 

Amity 

Amityvllle 

Amsterdam 

Anaquaaaoook 

Ancram 

Ancram  Lead  Mlnea 

Andes 

Andover 

Angelica 

Angola 

Antwerp 

Apalaeblu.... 

Appling 

Apulia 

Arcadia 

ArgosviUe .... 

A»WJe 

Arfcport 

ArkrtHe 

AriiWTigbt..., 


CoudIIm. 


Ontario. 

Ulster. 

tireene. 

Jefferson. 

Monroe, 

Jeflbrson. 

Washington. 

Steuben. 

iissex. 

Dutcheas. 

Griu. 

Uuiiesee, 

Albany. 

Orleans. 

Rrie. 

Oneida. 

Ceneaee. 

Jeflbrson. 

Jeflbrson. 

Allegany. 

AUegany. 

Allegany. 

Allegany. 

Uutarlo. 

Wayne. 

Allegany. 

Kenaaelaer. 

Steuben. 

Wayne. 

aum>lk. 

Onondaga. 

Oswego. 

Oswego. 

Dutchess. 

Dutchess. 

Montgomery. 

CISUT. 

OnuiKe. 

BuBoik. 

Montgomery. 

Waahlngton. 

Columbia. 

Columbia. 

Delaware. 

Allegany. 

Allegany. 

Erie. 

Jefferson. 

Tioga. 

Jeflbrson. 

Onondaga. 

Wayue. 

Schoharie. 

Washington. 

Steuben. 

Cnautauque. 


totUmen. 


Amoldton 

Artbursburgh 

Ashfoni 

Asliland  

Astoria 

Athens 

Athol    

AtUca  

Attica  Center 

Altlubury 

Auburn    

Augusta  

Aurellua 

AurlesvlUe 

Aurora 

Ausable  Forka  

Austerlitz 

Ava 

Avuca 

Avon 

Axeviile 

BsboookHUI 

Babylon  

Bally's  Four  Comers 

Bainbridge 

Ralnbridge  Center. . 
Baiting  ilollow  .... 

Baldwin  

BaldwlnsvUla 

Ballston 

Ballslon  Center 

Bangor 

Barbourville  

Barcelona 

BarkersvlUe 

Bamerrllle 

Barnes'  Comers .... 

Barre  Center 

Barrlngton  

Barrytown  

Barry  ville 

Barton 

Barton  Hill 

Batavia 

BatavlaKUl 

Bath 

Bsttenville 

Beach  HUl  

Bearsvillo 

Beaver  Brook 

Beaver  Dams 

Beaver  KiU 

Beaver  Meadow.... 
Bedford 

Beekmao... 


Countisi. 


Ulster. 

Dutchess. 

(Mturaugui. 

(ireune. 

Queens. 

Ureene. 

Warren. 

Wyoming 

Wyoming. 

Dutchess. 

Cayuga. 

Oiiolda. 

Cayuga. 

Montgomery. 

Cayuga. 

tMex. 

Columbia. 

Oneida. 

Steuben. 

Livingston. 

Cattaraugus. 

Oneida. 

Suffolk. 

Greene. 

Chenango. 

Chenango. 

Suflblk. 

Chemung. 

Onondaga. 

Saratoga. 

Saratoga. 

FrankUn. 

Delaware. 

Chautauqoe. 

Saratoga. 

Schoharie. 

Lewis. 

Orleans. 

Yates. 

Dutchess. 

Sullivan. 

Tioga. 

Schoharie. 

Genesee. 

Delaware. 

Steuben. 

Waahingt  n. 

Ulster. 

Ulster. 

Sullivan. 

Chemung. 

Sullivan. 

Chenango. 

Westchester. 

Weiitchssisr. 

Dutches*. 


roM-oflMi. 


Beekmantown 

Belciiur 

BelAut 

Belle  Isle 

Belleville 

Belliwrl   

Bullvale   

Bemus's  Heights  . . . 
Bennett's  Comers... 
Bennett's  Creek  .... 

Bennetlsburgh 

BenneltsviUe 

Bennington 

Benson 

Benton 

Benton  Center 

Bergen 

Horgboltz 

Berkshire 

Beriln  

Berne  

Ilemhard's  Bay ... . 

Bethany  

Bethel 

Bethlehem 

Bethlehem  Center.. 

BIgBrook  

Big  liUldy 

BIgFlatU 

Big  Hollow 

Big  Stream  Point. . . 
Big  Tree  Comera. . . 

Blnghamton 

BlrdsaU 

Black  Brook  

Block  Creek 

Black  Lake 

Black  River 

Black  Rock 

Blauveltville  

Sleeker 

Blenheim 

Blink  Bonny  

BlockvUle   

Blodget  MiUs 

Bloomingburgh .... 
Bl jomlog  Grove  . . . 

BloomvlUe 

BloffPoint 

Bolivar 

Bolton 

Bombay  

Booneville 

Borodino 

Boston 

.«..Mj«Yt(fc     .  .  .  i  .  t  ,  , 

Bovlna 


CoiwUm. 


Clinton. 

Wsshington. 

Allegany. 

Onondaga. 

Jellitrson. 

Suflblk. 

Orange. 

Saratoga. 

Madison. 

Steuben. 

Tompkins. 

Chenango. 

Wyoming. 

Hamlltun. 

Yates. 

Yates. 

Genesee. 

Nisgara. 

Tioga. 

RenaselMT. 

Albany 

Oswego. 

Genesee. 

Sullivan. 

Albany. 

Albany. 

OneMiL 

Sullivan. 

Chemung. 

Greene. 

Yatea. 

Erie. 

Broome. 

Allegany. 

Clinton. 

Allegany. 

St.  LawreoM. 

Jefferson. 

Erie. 

Rockland. 

Fulton. 

Bchoharie. 

St.  I^wrenee. 

Chautauque. 

Cortlandt. 

Bollivan. 

Onnge. 

Delaware. 

Yatea. 

Allegany. 

Warren. 

Franklin. 

Oneida. 

Onondaga. 

Erie. 

iDelawara. 


400 


J 


POST-OFFICES    IN   NEW    YORK. 


p<Mt-oa<iM. 


BorlnaOtiDter — 

Bradlbnl 

Bnlmrd't  BrMI«e 
IlnuiiM%  CoroDn 

BraiKhport 

Brant    

BnuiUngbam  — 
Brother  FkIIi  .... 
Bnulvir  Iron  Worki 
HrBolutbMU 
llruwtUir'i  Station. . 

Bruwertun  

Ilridguhamptoo . . . 

HrldKeport 

IlrldKuvlIki 

Url(l|{t>w»t«r 

Brighton 

BrUlol 

Bristol  C«nt«r 

Broiulitlbla 

Brocket's  Bri-lge  . . 

Brockport   

BruokHuld  

BriMikl.vn 

Brook's  (irovu   . . . 

BrookviUe   

Brouine  Center  . . . 

Brownville 

Bruahloud   

Bruahe'sMUta 

Briishville  

Ilruynswick 

Buck  Bridge 

Buckmin 

Bucktuoth 

Buel 

Buflklo 

Biiflhio  Plains 

BuU'sHwid 

Bnllvllle 

Bnrdett 

Burke 

BurUngham 

BurUngtoo 

Burllagtuu  Flatta. . 
Bums 
Burnt  Hilla 
Burr's  Mills 
Burton 

Burlonsvllle 

BusbMU**  Basin . . 

BushnellsTiUe 

Bushlrk's  Bridge. . 

BusU 

Butler 

Butterfly 

Butternuts 

Buttermilk  FaUs . . 

ByeravUle 

BymvlUe 

Byron 


UM>lnHlll 

CadyvUle 

Cairo 

CaMwaU 

Caledonia 

CalUoooa 

OaUlooon  Depdt. 

Cambria 

Cambridge 

Camden 

Cameron 

Cameron  Mills.. 

uunlllus 

Campbelltown . . 

CaawvDla 


Delaware. 

Hluuben. 

Rensaei««r. 

Hchnneoiady 

Yates. 

Erlo. 

LewU. 

e*t.  Lawrence. 

8t.  Lawrunce. 

Hohoharie. 

Putnam. 

Ouondaga. 

fluflUk. 

Madison. 

Sullivan. 

Oneida. 

Monroe. 

Ontario. 

Ontario. 

Fulton. 

Fulton. 

Monroe. 

Matilsoo. 

Kings. 

Livingston. 

(ieneaee. 

Schoharie. 

Jufferson. 

Delaware. 

rr.tnuii:.. 

Queens. 

Ulster. 

St.  Lawrence, 

Queens. 

CatlaruuKUB. 

Montgomery. 

Erie. 

Krie. 

Duteheaa. 

Orange. 

Tompkins. 

Franklin. 

Sullivan. 

Otsego. 

Otaego. 

Allegany. 

Saratoga. 

Jeflbraon. 

CattarauKua. 

Montgomery. 

Monroe. 

Grt^eue. 

Waahington. 

Chautauque. 

Wayne. 

Oswego. 

Otsego. 

Orange. 

Livingston. 

Schoharie. 

Genesee. 

Delaware. 

GUnton. 

Oreane. 

Warren. 

LiTingaton. 

SulUyan. 

Sullivan. 

Niagara. 

Washington. 

Oneida. 

Steuben. 

Steuben. 

Onondaga. 

Steuben. 

Duicuess. 

Tioffa. 


fott-oaoM. 


>r»('4) 

Caiuuki^  r.iitwtt.,, 
Cani'c\  \  L '  rnHi 

OauatllM 

CsMUoharie 

Caiuu 

Oauandalgua 

Canaalota 

Candor 

Oaneadea 

Canfleld's  Corner. 

Canlstao 

CanonsvlUe 

Oanoga 

Canterbury 

Canton 

Cape  Vincent 

Cardiff 

Carlisle 

Carlton 

Carniul 

Cttrdllne 

Caroline  Center.... 

Carroll 

Carrolllon 

Cartersvlllu 

Carthage  Landing. . 

Carthage 

Caasadaga 

Cassville 

Castile 

Castle  Creek 

Caslleton 

Catharine 

Cato 

Culo  4  Cornera 

CaUin   

CaUklll 

Caughdenoy  

Cayuga 

Cayuta  

CayutavUle 

Cazpnovia 

CtMlarHIU 

Cedar  Swamp 

CedarvUkt 

Central  Bridge 

Central  Square 

Cvnter  Almond  .... 

(^nler  Berlin 

Center  Cambridge. . 

CenterBekl 

Centerlndependence 
Center  Lisle  .... 

Centerport 

Ceut«r  Sherman 

Cetarvllle 

Center  Valley... 
Center  White  Creek 

Champion 

Champion  South 

Roads 

Champlaln 

Chapelaburgh  ... 

ChaplnvUle 

Chappaqua  

Charleeton 

Charleston  4  Oor's. . 

Charlotte 

Charlotte  Center  . . . 

CharlottevlUe 

Chariton 

Chateaugay 

Chautauqua  Valley 

Chatham 

Chatham  Centar  .. 

ChSthntii  4  COfzs^s 

Cbaumont 


Columbia. 

Columbia. 

Columbia. 

Ontario. 

Miiulgomary, 

<  inomlaga. 

Ontario. 

Madison. 

Tioga. 

Allegany. 

Tioga. 

St..  ,ii,-, 

Heneoa. 

Orange. 

St.  Lawranee. 

JeBbrson. 

Onondaga. 

Schoharie. 

Orleana. 

Pumoin. 

Tompklna. 

TompkhM. 

Chautauque. 

Cattaraugus. 

Oswego. 

Duteheaa. 

Jtiffunmn. 

Chautauque. 

Uneida. 

Wyomhig. 

Broome. 

Konsaeloer. 

Chemung. 

Cayuga. 

Cayuga. 

Btauben. 

Greene. 

Oswego. 

Cayuga. 

Chemung. 

Tompklna. 

Madison. 

Albany. 

Queens. 

Herkimer. 

Sclioharle. 

Oswego. 

Allegiwy. 

Rensselaer. 

Washington. 

Ontario. 

Allegany. 

Broome. 

Suflblk. 

Chautauque. 

AUjgany. 

Otaego. 

Washington. 

JeObrson. 

Jeflbrson. 

Clinton. 

Cattaraugua. 

Ontario. 

Weatob  eater. 

Montgomery. 

Montgomery. 

Monroe. 

Chautauque. 

Schoharie 

Saratosa. 

Franklin. 

Allegany. 

Columbia. 

Columbia. 


Chaiv 

Chookered  Houae. 

Chiitiktowaga 

Chemung 

Cheiuuigo  Forks  .. 

Cheningo 

Cherry  Creek 

(^erry  Valley 

Cheshire 

Cheslimt  Ridge.... 
Cheater  

iMtertown 

,lef  Warrior.... 

Chill 

China 

Chittonangii 

Chlttonango  Falls . 

Churchlown 

Churchvllle 

Cicero 

CInclnnatus 

City 

Clarence 

Clarunoo  Center. . 

(Clarendon   

Clark's  Factory  . 

Clarkaun 

Clarkson  Center. . 

Clarkslown 

Clarkavllie 

Claryvllle 

Maverack 

Clay 

Clayvllle 

Clayton 

Clear  Creek 

Clermont 

Cleveland 

Clifton 

Clillon  Springa  . . 

CllOon  Park 

(Union 

Clinton  Hollow  . . 

CllnlonviUe 

Clinton  Comen . . 

Clockviile 

Clove 

Ctovesville 

Clyde 

Clymer 

Clymer  Center... 

CoblesklU 

Cocbecton  

Coeymana  

Coeyman's  Hollow 

Cobocttm 

Cohoe« 

Colla 

Colchester 

Cold  Brook 

Colden 

Coldenham 

CoM  Spring  .... 
Cold  Spring  Harbor 
Colesvllle    ... 

Cuilainer 

CoUins 

Collins  Center.' 
ColUnaviUe . . . 

Coiosse    

Columbia   . . . 
Columbus  ... 

Comack 

Comstook'a  Landing 

Conesua  

Coneavllle  ... 


OlUiton. 

Oswi   •<!. 

F.ri«t. 

Clieroung, 
BnMime. 
''urtlandl. 

hautauque. 
Otaego. 
Ontario. 

DUIChHMS, 

orauK<^. 

Warrwn. 

Erie. 

M'    roe. 

W,  imlf!g. 

MnaiW'ii 

Madlaon. 

Columbia. 

Monroe. 

Onondaga. 

Cortlandt. 

Dutchess. 

Erie. 

Krie. 

Orleans. 

Delaware. 

MonrtMi. 

Monn>>-. 

Rockliiiid. 

Albany. 

iSulllviin. 

Columbia. 

Onondaga. 

Oneida. 

Jeff  I'  11. 

Cliuutauqua. 

Ck>iumbla. 

Oaweg"- 

Monro< 

Ontario. 

Saratoga. 

Oneida. 

Duloheas. 

Clinton. 

Duteheaa. 

Madison. 

Dutchess. 

Delaware. 

Wayne. 

Chautauque. 

Chautauque. 

Schoharie. 

SuUivon. 

Albany. 

Albany. 

Steuben. 

Albany. 

Waahuigtoa. 

Delaware. 

Herkimer. 

Erie. 

Orange. 

Putnam. ' 

SuSblk. 

Broome. 

Onondaga. 

Erie. 

Erie. 

Lewis. 

Oawego. 

Herkimer. 

Chenango. 

Suffolk. 

Washington. 

Livingston. 

Schoharie. 


iConkUn  iBroome. 


\ 


POBT>OFriOB8   IN    NCW    YOIK. 


401 


rOviHMliM* 


ConqiMtl 

CuiutHblevllla 

Ciiiwuintik 

UuiuuiiUa  Center. . 

0(M)k(l)urRii   

OoopHr*!  PItiM . . . . 

Cwipt-rMown 

Ciiop«raTiU0  

Cupukit    

Copenhageo  

OoraiD .     

OorbotU  villa 

Corfu   

Cuhnih 

CumlDK     

<!ornwall 

Coruwallvllto 

CortlMidt 

CorUaiMlt  Vlllaga  . . 

Cuuiuy  Llou  

Cuveiilry 

CuvuiitryTilk) 

Covert 

Cuvuvlllu 

Cuvlnuton  

Cuwlesville 

Cuxaackki  

CralKivllle 

CmUra  Oomers  . . . . 
Cranberry  Cnwk  • . . 

CraneHvifle 

Cniwlurd 

('ru((han  

<>oai  River 

CrotoD 

CniUja  FbIIs    

Croton  Landing. . . . 

Crown  Point 

Crum  Elbow 

entry's  MlUa 

Cruso   

Cuba  

CuddubBclivUle 

Cutchoguu 

Cuylor 

OuylerviUe 


OotmUM. 


Dale 

Danby 

Dannemora 

DaiitvUle 

Danube  

Uarlen 

Dnrlen  Center 

Davenport 

Davenport  Center  . . 

Day  

Dayton 

Dean's  Comers 

Deanavllle  

Decatur 

Duepikii:    

Deer  Ri\ur 

De  Frlestville 

De  Kalb 

Delavan  

De  Laiiey 

Delaware  Bridge  . . . 

1'  ihi    

olphi 

Uelta 

Venmark 

DtjnniiMu'g  Corners 

Deuning  

Depauville 

De  Peysier 


De  Ruyter 


Cayufa. 

Luwtak 

Uswtxto. 

Oswego, 

Albany. 

Htciiben. 

Otsefto. 

Clinton. 

Oulumbla. 

I<ewla. 

Huflblk. 

Uruome. 

UenitMie. 

Miiratoga. 

Huiuben. 

Orange. 

Greene. 

Cortiandt. 

Cortlandt. 

Niagara. 

Cbonaiigo. 

Uhenangi . 

Seneca. 

Hiurubiga. 

VVyamlug 

Wyoming. 

Uroene. 

Orange. 

Herkimer. 

Pulton. 

M<  ntgomery. 

Uraoge. 

Lewis. 

Westchester. 

Delaware. 

We«tcliester. 

Westchesler. 

Emex. 

Dutchess. 

Ht.  Lawrence. 

.'teneca. 

Allegany. 

( )raoRe. 

Sudblk. 

Cortlandt 

Livingston 

Wyoming. 

Tompkins. 

Clinton, 

Livingston. 

Herkimer. 

Genesee. 

Uenesee. 

Delaware. 

Delaware. 

Saratoga. 

Call  raugiu. 

Sar     )ga. 

On    da. 

Otsego. 

Rensselaer. 

Lewis. 

KensseliK  r. 

r^t.  Law  r<  lice. 
CottarauKus. 
Madison 
.Sullivan. 
Delaware. 
Otxmdaga. 
Oi.'Mda. 
vis. 
Herkimer. 
Ulster. 
.leBbrson. 
^t.  Lawrence. 

Madison. 


f<Mt.omM<. 


Oerereaux  ... 

DeWItt  

De  WlUvllle  . 

Dexter 

Diana 

Dickinson   , . . 

I>lx  Hills 

l>r/«nesbiirgh  . 
Dulib's  Perry  . 
Durmansvlllu  . 
Doty's  Comer. 

Dover  

Dryden 

Duaue 

Duanesburgh  . 

Dugway   

Dundee 

Dunkirk  — 
DunuitvUle  ... 

Durham  

DurhamvUlu  . 


Kagle 

KoKle  Harbor 

Eagle  Mills 

Eagle  ViUage 

Barlville  

East  Aurora 

East  Avon  

East  Bergen 

East  Berne 

East  Bethany 

EastBloomdeld.... 

RiuA  Branch 

KiMt  Cameron 

I'last  Canisteo 

EaatCarll'iu    

East  Chatliam 

East  Chester  ..^. 

Bast  China 

Rast ' 'larksim 

i:iuit  >bleskill  .... 
i'jial  fistable  .... 
b^st  V  i.ichogue.... 

East  Durham 

East  Evans 

Bast  Florence 

Bast  Freetown   

Riist  Gaines 

East  Oalway 

East  Genoa 

East  Gerinao 

East  GlenvlUe 

Eai't  Grafton  

Ea.<  'ireenbuBh.... 

F^t  Greene 

East  Greenwich .... 
Ba«t  Groveland  .... 

East  Guilford 

East  ilambuig 

East  tlauillton 

East  Hampton 

EudtHiil 

Ea.ttHoi.iflr 

East  Huunafleld . . . . 

East  Java 

East  Kill 

East  Koy 

East  Lansing 

East  Leon 

East  Lexington 

East  Lino 

East  Macdonough . . 

East  Maine 

Eastmaosvllle 

EastMorlchea 

KMiH  r*IM(MMftU 

East  New  Yoit.... 
51 


CouUtt. 


Herkimer. 

Onondaga. 

('hauiauque. 

Jeflirson. 

Lewis. 

Frank  lin. 

HuOblk. 

Putnam. 

WestcheaUur. 

Albany. 

Hiouben. 

Dutoheso. 

Tompklui. 

Franklin. 

Schenectady. 

Oswego. 

Yates. 

Cbautauqne. 

Albany. 

Greene. 

Oneida. 

Wvomlng. 

Orleans. 

Rensselner. 

Wyoming, 

Madison. 

Erie. 

Livingston. 

Genesee. 

Albany. 

Genesee, 

Ontario. 

Delaware. 

flteuben. 

Steuben. 

Orleans. 

Columbia. 

Westchester. 

Wyoming. 

Monroe. 

Schoharie. 

Franklin. 

Suffolk. 

Greene. 

Erie. 

Oneida. 

Cortlandt 

Orleans. 

Saratoga. 

Cayuga. 

Chenango. 

Schenectady. 

Rensselaer. 

Rensselaer. 

Chenango. 

Washington. 

Uvlngston. 

Chenango. 

Erie. 

Madison. 

Suffolk. 

AlleganT. 

Cortlaodt. 

Jefferson. 

Wyoming. 

Greene. 

A  vi'nim>j. 

Tompkins. 

CsttaraiunB. 

Greene. 

Haratoga. 

Chenango. 

Broome. 

Fulton. 

Snllblk. 

Rei 

Kings. 


Pm^OOmi. 


Bast  Norwich 

Boston 

Bast  OrangevlUe  . , 

East  Otto 

East  Painted  Puot  . 

F.ast  Palmyra 

East  Pembroke  . . , 
Bast  Peru. 


BasiPharsaUa Ohenanfto. 


Bast  Plerpont 

Baal  Pike 

BaoiPlloalm.... 
Bast  Randolph  . 
East  Rodman . . . 

Kast  Halem 

East  Hand  I.ake. 
East  Schuyler... 

EastHolon 

EaotSpringfleM. 
Baat  Bpringwater 

EastVarick 

Baat  Virgil , 

Bast  Windham  . . 
Bast  Worcester  . . 

Eaton 

Batonvllle 

BddyvUle 

Eden 

Edenton 

Eden  Valley . . . . , 
EdenvUle...!;.., 
Bdgecomb't  Comers 
Edinburgh 
Edinburgh  Center.. 

Edmeston 

Edwards  ....;. 
EdwardsvlUe  .. 

r.:;:;:::: 

Elbridge 

EleysvUle 

Elgin 

Ellzabethtown . 

ElizavUle 

Ellenburgh .... 

Ellen  vine 

EUery 

EUlcott  Creek.. 
BUicottsvUle ... 

Ellington 

Ellisburgh 

Elllston 

Eimin 

Elton 

El  wood's  Bridge 

Eminence 

KiiflHld 

EnHold  Center  . 

Engluville 

Ephratah 

Erievlile  

Erin 

Erwln  Center  . . 

Esopua  

Esperance  

iMex 

Etna 

Euclid 

Evans  

Bvansville 

Exeter 


Qoeeoa. 

Waablngtoo. 

WMMBing. 

CaitaraugMi 

Bieuben. 

Wayne. 

Genesee. 

Clinton. 


FabluB 

Factory  ville. 
Falrfleld  ... 
Fair  Mount . 
Fairporl . . . . 
Fairvlew  ... 


St  Lawrence. 

Wyoming. 

St  Lawrono*. 

Cattarauguo. 

J<!flkrson. 

Waohlngton. 

Rensselaer. 

Herkimer. 

Cortlandt 

Olsego. 

Livingston. 

rieueca. 

Cortlandt 

Greene. 

Otsego. 

MadMon. 

Herkimer. 

Cattarauguo. 

Erie. 

St  LawrenMi 

Erie. 

Orange. 

Saratoga. 

Saratoga. 

Saratoga. 

Otsego. 

St  Lawrence. 

St  Lawrence. 

Monroe. 

Genesee. 

Onondaga. 

Erie. 

CsttaraugtM. 

Essex. 

Columbia. 

Clinton. 

mster. 

Chautauqua. 

Erie. 

Cattaraugus. 

Chantauqne. 

Jeflhrson. 

Onondaga. 

Chemimg, 

Cattaraugus. 

Delaware, 

Schoharie, 

Tompkins. 

Tompkins, 

Schoharie, 

Fulton. 

Madison. 

Chemung. 

Steuben. 

Ulster. 

Schohaite, 

Essex. 

TompUno. 

Onondaga, 

Erie. 

Jefferson. 

Otsego, 

Onondaga. 

Tioga. 

Herkimer. 

Onondaga. 

CShemuug. 

CaUanuguii 


t 


I 


po«T*orriOBa  in  nbw  york. 


FMl-CMiMt. 


rwviua 

#  PiriMHUfh 

Fvniar 

ninMr'i  Hill 

'^  Vmumt'iMUIi.... 

FtrmaravUle 

tuvAa^itim  

Fvmliifhaui 

FwnlnfkM 

FMrrailPlMa  

FaytU* 

FayatUtvllle 

Fedanl  Htofe 

Felt'i  MUii 

FmiMr 

Fcripiion't  Ournera 

FlDobvUlit 

FlreplMW 

FUhklll 

Flllmon  

FlihkUl  iMMm . . 
FUhklll  PiBiM .... 

Five  OoriMin 

FlwkvlUe 

FUuidan  

FIM  Brook 

Fbrtbuih 

FIMCra«k  

FUiUhmU 

Fleming   

'V.  FlemlngtrUle 

^^^  FllntCreak 

Fkmtnoe 

Florida 

Floyd 

Fliuhing 

FluvMuia  

Fly  MottDlaio 

FuBda  

FordbaiD 

Foreitbuixh 

FofMrt  City 

Fort  Ann  

Fort  Covingtoo  — 

Fort  Edward 

Fort  Edward  Ceiitur 

Fort  Hamiltou 

Fort  Hunter 

Fort  Miller 

FortPlain 

FortsviUH  

FoMerdale   

FoalenrUle  

Rowler 

FowleravUle 

Frankfort  

,  Frankfort  IIIU  

/  FranklUi  

/     Franklin  Fumaco  . 

Frantzdale  

Franklluton 

FrankllnvlUo  

Fredonla 

Freedom 

Freedom  Plaiua  . . . 

Freetown  

Freetown  Coruera . 

Framont  

French  Creek 

French  Mountain  . 

FnwBburgh 

Freysbuah   

Friandthip 

Frontier   

FnllwravUle  Iron 
Wortu 

Fuikiu 

FiilteAlikni  • • 


Wayna. 
Hulllvan. 


FmUMUm, 


FultoarUla 


UatchaM. 

Putnam. 

Oaltaraufua. 

Qiiaena. 

Urleana. 

Ontario. 

Cllnhin. 

Heneca. 

Onondaga. 

UulobMi. 

JeObraun. 

Madliua, 

Vatea. 

Uranue, 

Htiflblk. 

Dulobeaa. 

Allauany. 

Outcneia. 

OutcbeM. 

Oayugn. 

Mt.  Lawronoo. 

Hiilfolk. 

C!ulumbia. 

Kliiga. 

Monigomery. 

Kinga. 

Oayuga. 

Tioga. 

Ontario. 

Oneida. 

Orange. 

Oneida. 

Queena. 

Chauuuique. 

Ulster. 

Montgomery. 

Weatobeater. 

BulllTau. 

Tompkins. 

Waablngtun. 

Franklin. 

Waahlugton. 

Waahiligtou. 

Kings. 

Montgumery. 

Wuihiugton. 

Montgomery. 

Haratuga. 

Sullivan. 

Cayuga. 

t!t.  Lawrence. 

lilvlngaton. 

Herkimer. 

Herkimer. 

Delaware. 

Franklin. 

Ulster. 

Hcboharie. 

Cattaraugus. 

Cbaulauque. 

Cattaraugua. 

Uutcheaa. 

Cortlandt. 

Conlaiidt. 

:4ttllivan. 

Cbautauqne. 

Warren. 

Chautauque. 

Montgumery, 

AUetpuiy. 

CUulon. 


Monlgoroery. 


.,.. 


St.  Lawrence. 

Oswego. 

tichotuirie. 


Oalnaa 

OalmiavUle 

Oalea 

Ualeaviile 

OaUaUuvine  .... 

GallupviUa 

Ualway 

OansHvoort 

UarduanvlUe  ... 

Oaroga 

OarrallavUia  .... 

Oatea 

<Jay  Head 

Ueddea 

aenegantalet  ... 
(ieneaee  Valley  . 

(ieueseo  

Geneva 

tiewNi  

(JeorKelown  .... 

Cvrman    

Uermanlown  ... 

Gerry    

Ghent  

Gibson  

Gibson's  Corners 

GIbsonvllle 

Gilbert's  Mills  . . 
Qllberuville  .... 

OHboa 

Gilman 

Glaaoo 

Glen     

Olen  Cove   

Glenham     

Glenn's  FaUa 

Glenmore 

Glenwood 

Glenvilla     ... 

(ilenwikl     — 

GloversviUe.... 

Guff's  Mills.... 

Good  Ground 

Gurham       .... 

Goshen 

Gouvemeur — 

Golden's  Bridge 

(^kiwanda  (late  Pe^ 
sla)    

Graniun 

Grahamsvllk)     . . . 

Granger      

Grangerville 

nrunville 

Graveaend 

Gravesvllki 

Great  Bend 

Great  Vulluy 

Greece 

Greenborough . . . 

Greeubush 

Greene 

Greenfield  Center 

Greenpoint 

Greenpurt 

Green  River   .... 

Green's  Comers.. 

Greenville  

Greenwich 

Greenwood 

GreigaviUe  

Griffin's  Mills  .... 

Griswuld'sMUIs.. 

|Groom's  Corner.. 

juroun 

ItirotonUUjr 


Orleana. 

Wyoming. 

Hulllvan. 

WaahlngtOB. 

Columbia. 

Hehoharie. 

Daratega. 

Baraloga. 

HGhoharte. 

Fulton. 

Otaego. 

Monroe. 

Greene. 

Onondaga. 

Chenango. 

Allegany. 

Livingston. 

Ontario. 

Cayuga. 

Madison. 

Chenango. 

Columbia. 

Chautauqua. 

Columbia. 

rtteuben. 

Tioga. 

livlngston. 
swega 
Olsugo. 

Bchoharle. 

Hamilton. 

Ulster. 

Montgomery. 

Queena. 

I>i4lchesa. 

Warren. 

Oneida. 

Erie. 

Schenectady. 

Sullivan. 

Fulton. 

Steuben. 

Sufli>lk. 

Ontario. 

Orange. 

St.  Lawrence, 

Westcheiiter. 


Grove  

Grovelond  

GrovelsiMl  Center  . . 
tlnivmior's  Comers 

Guilderland 

Guilderlaad  Center 

Guilford  

(iullTord  CHnlsr ... 
Gypsum  


pwioawsi 


Cattaraug'js. 

Rensselaer. 

SulUvan. 

Allegany. 

Saratoga. 

Washington. 

Kings. 

Herkimer. 

Jeflbrson. 

Cattaraugus. 

Monroe. 

Oawego. 

Benaeelaer. 

Chenango. 

Saratoga. 

Kings. 

Suffijlk. 

Columbia. 

Oneida. 

Greene. 

Wasbingion. 

Steuben. 

Liviogsten. 

Erie. 

Washington. 

Saratuga. 

Txmspsins. 

Xompklui. 


Hadley 

Haerlem 

Hagaman's  MIIU 

Hague  

Hale's  Eddy    ... 

Half  Moon 

Hall's  Comers  .. 

Hall's  Mills 

Hallavllle 

Halsey  Valley... 

Hamburgh 

Hamburgh   on   the 

Lake 

Hamden 

Hamilton 

Hamlet 

Ilninmond  

Hammond's  Mills . 

Hampton 

Hamptooburgh  . . . 

Hancock 

Hanford's  Landing 

Hannibal 

Hannibal  Center. . . 

Hanover 

Hari  Lot 

Harford   

Harlemvilla 

Harmon; 


Harmony 

Harperalield    

Harpersville 

Harriettown   

Harrlsburgh   

Harris' HlTl 

Harrison 

HanfleM 

Hartford  

Hartland 

Hurt's  Village 

HarUvlUe    

Hartwick 

Hartwick  Seminary 

Hartwood    

Harvard  

Hasbrouok 

Haskenvllle 

Haallii((s 

Heatings  upon  Hud' 

sun 

Havanna 

Haverslraw 

Havlland  Hollow  .. 

Hawleytun 

Hebron 

Heda  Works 

Hector 

Ileldurburgh 

Helena 

Hemluck  Lake  ... 

Hempstead 

Hemusteud  Branch 

Henderson 

Henrietta 

Herkimer  

llurmltage  

Herroon  


Allegany. 

Uvlngslon. 

Livingston. 

Hohoharte. 

Albany. 

Albany. 

Cbenangn, 

Chenango. 

Ontario. 

Saratoga. 

New  York. 

Montgomery. 

Warren. 

Bruume. 

Saratoga. 

Ontario. 

Albany. 

Montgomery. 

Tioga. 

Erie. 

Erie. 

Delaware. 

Madison. 

Ghauteuque. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Steuben. 

Washington. 

Orange. 

Delaware. 

Monroe. 

Oswego. 

Oswego. 

Chautauqua. 

Onowlaga. 

CurtlandL 

Culumbla. 

Chautauqua. 

Delaware. 

Bruome. 

Franklin. 

I.ewls. 

Erie. 

Westchester. 

Chnuteuque. 

Washington. 

Niagara. 

Dutch  eta. 

Onondaga. 

Ulmigo. 

Otsego. 

Sullivan. 

Delaware. 

SiiUlvan. 

Steuben. 

Oswego. 

Westchester. 

Chemung. 

Rockland. 

Putnam. 

Bruume. 

Washington. 

Ont'ldn. 

Tunipkins. 

Albiiny. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Livingntun. 

Uuevns. 

(tlueenn. 

Jefferson. 

Monroe. 

Herkimer. 

Wyoming. 

^t.  Lawrence. 


;r:t*33  ii'-tKi niBstuR. 

>U«uv«Uon Isi.  LawraoGO. 


\ 


rosT-orrioii  in  ncw  yoik. 


408 


lilbarnla 

lllok<ii7(^)rnen.... 

HiKKlniivtIla 

lllKh  KbII*  

HlKhlMid  fMllla  . . . . 

High  Morktit 

llin«boru'  

HIIImIbIh 

lllinliburRh 

IllnmamviUa 

Hliiadalt) 

Iltu-rvllle 

Hokk'i  Curnur    .... 

Hoburt 

Hoblilavllht 

HolAnan'i  Furry .... 

HulTkniut'*  (iatm 

HogwMbtirgh 

Hollami    

Hullaod  Pauml  .... 

Hull«y 

Hoiusr 

Honooyo 

Non«oy«  Falla   

Huoaick  

Huoiick  Fall*    . . . . 

Hops    

Hup*  CaDtflr  

Hope  Fkllf 

Hopewull    

HupklDton 

Hurleon   

Hornby 

Honwflivtile  

MuuMVlUe  

Howard   

Huwell'i  Depot  . . . . 

HowletHIU 

Hubbanl'i  Oomera 

Hudton    

HughaonvUle 

Huguenot    

Hulburtoo  

HuiriOomen    .... 

Hull'iMUIa 

Hume  

Hunter 

Hunler'i  Land   . . . . 

HunUngton 

Hunt'aHoUow   .... 

Hurley 

Huron 

Hyde    

Hyde  Park 

Hyde  SetUement 
HyndiTUle 

nton 

Independenoe 

Indian  Hirer 

Ira 

Ireland  Comen  . . . . 

Irondequolt 

Irving  

IiUp 

Italy  Hill 

Italy  Hollow  

Ithaoa 

Jaekion      

Jockaonbargh    . . . . 
Jackaon  Cornera... 

JacksonTille   

Jack*!  Rear 

JamalM  

iatBOiport  

JameMown 


Ouiohaaa. 

NIanrs. 

Oneida. 

Ulaler. 

Unuige. 

I«wla. 

Oneida. 

(Columbia. 

Orleanii, 

Oewego. 

Cattaraugua. 

Ontilda. 

KanaaelRer. 

Delaware. 

Allegany. 

ttoheneclady. 

Uolumbia. 

Kranklln. 

KrI*. 

Unekla. 

Orteana. 

Cortlandt 

Unlarto. 

Muuroe. 

Kenaeelaer. 

UenHelaur. 

Hamilton. 

Hamilton. 

Hamilton. 

OnUrlo. 

St.  Liawreaoe. 

Warren. 

Steuben. 

Hteuben. 

Lewla. 

Hleuban. 

Orange. 

Onondaga. 

Madlaon. 

Columbia. 

Dutcheaa. 

Orange. 

Orleana. 

Oawego. 

Dulcheai. 

Allegany. 

Greene. 

Schoharie. 

i^uflblk. 

Allagany. 

Ulater. 

Wayne. 

Warren. 

Duteheaa. 

Broome. 

Schoharie. 

Herkimer. 

Cayuga. 

Albany. 

Monroe. 

Chautauque. 

Suflblk. 

Vatea. 

Yates. 

Tompkini. 

Waahington. 

Herkimer. 

Dutcheaa. 

Tompkim. 

Onondaga. 

Queans. 

OhiHtMiqtw. 


Tttt-Om—.  0»a»iHi. 


Jameavllla  

Jauesvllhi  (lata 
BlockTUla)  ... 

Jaspar  

Java 

JavaVIUag*  ... 

Jay    

Jaddo   

JeHbrson 

JulHiraon  Valley. 
JeOlMionvllle  . . . 

J«rl<!h<) 

Juriiaalein    

JxrunUum  South 

Juwelt 

JulinHbuivh 

JiihinoiMioarHh  . 
JdhiiMHi'ii  <>«iok. 

JuhiiHlown  

JolMMVlllll    

Jonloii 

Jordaiivllle 

Joy    

Junction  

Junlua 

Knaoag 

Kattetvllle  

Keeue 

Keeney'i  Hetllemenl 

KueaevlUe  

KellogKsvlUu 

Kendall    

KvndaU  Mills 

KHUnadyavtIle    .... 

Keualco   

Kent 

Ketcham's  Comers 

Kill  Buck    

KInderhook    

KIngsboro' 

Kiugsbridgs   

Kingsbury  

King's  Ferry  

King's  Battlement. . 

Kingston 

Kinney's  4  Cornaia 

KIrkland 

Kirk  villa 

Klrkwood   

KIskatom    

KnuwersvUle 

KnowlesvlUe 

Knox    

Knox  Oomera    .... 

Kortrlght 

Kyaerike 

Kyaervlll*  

Lackawaek 

Lalhrgevllle 

Liafayette 

LafiivettavUle 

La  Orange 

LairdsvUle 

Lake 

Lakeland 

Lake  Pleatant   .... 

Lakeport 

Lake  Ridge 

Lakeville 

Lancaster    

Lamsons 

Lansingburgh    .... 

Lanslngvttle   

Laoni  

Lapeer 

Lvnad'sOoniM* 


Onondaga. 

Chautaa<iue. 

l^teulMin. 

Wyotulng. 

Wyomlaji. 

Ksstti. 

Orleana. 

Schoharie. 

WeatohestM'. 

Xulllvan. 

Queens. 

Vatea. 

Queens. 

(•nwiie. 

Warren. 

Wyuming. 

Nliiiiara. 

t'ultun. 

HaratoKa. 

OnniMlatfa. 

Ilarklnwr. 

Wayne. 

Heiiaaelaer. 

Haoeca. 

Oswei^o. 

Broome. 

Emux. 

Cortlandt 

l^sex. 

Cavuga. 

Orleuiis. 

Orleami. 

Steuben. 

Westchester. 

Putnam. 

Saratoga. 

Cuttaraugua. 

Columbia. 

Fulton, 

New  York. 

Waahington. 

Cayuga. 

Chenango. 

Ulster. 

Oswego. 

Oneida. 

Onondaga. 

Broome. 

Greene. 

Albany. 

Orteana. 

Albmy. 

Oneida. 

Delaware. 

Ulater. 

Livingston. 

Ulster. 

Jeflbraon. 

Onondaga. 

Dutches*. 

Wyoming. 

Oneida. 

Washington. 

SuAblk. 

Hamilton. 

Madiaoo. 

Tompkina. 

Livingston. 

Erie. 

Onondaga. 

Rensselser. 

Tompkins. 

Chautauque. 

Coriisndb 

Ontario. 


rMi«aM«.  Ci—M«s. 


LaaaellsvlUa  

Lsunms  

LHwrenoevllle   .. 

LawyersvUla 

Lebanon  

Ledyurd  

Lea  

Leads  , 

Loadsvltle  

Luesvllla 

Lenox 

Leon    

LeunHrdirlllu 

La  Kuyevllle 

I.uK<iy , 

I^evanna 

lAivaut 

I.<iwls  

l«wisboro* 

lrf<wislon 

Ijexiiigtun  

I. (ixliiKton  Heights 

Uiydt^n 

Liberty 

l.lliartyvllla 

Liberty  Falls 

Lima    

Limestone 

Limerick 

Lindun 

LIndleytown 

Llnklaen 

LIslMin 

Lisbon  Center 

Lislia'sKiU 

Lisle 

Llichfleld 

LIthguw  

LItUe  Britain 

Little  Falls 

Little  Genesee 

Little  Rest 

LlttloSodus  

Little  Valley  

Little  York 

Liverpool  

Livingston 

Livlngstunville 

Little  Ulioa 

Livonia   

Locke  

LockBariin    

I.«okport 

Locust  Tree 

Lodl 

Lodi  Center 

Lugan  

liorralne 

Louisville 

Louisville  Iisndlng 

Lowell 

Low  Hampton  . . . . 

Lowville 

Low'*  Comer 

Loyd c 

Ludlowviil* 

Lumberland  

Luzerne  

LyndoavlUe  

Lyona 

Lyon's  Hollow  ..... 

Lyonsdale ■ 

Lysauder 


PidtMk 

Otsego. 

St.  LawrsBUfc 

Hchuhartib 

Madlaoa.      " 

Csyuga. 

Oneida. 

Ureena. 

Uulchs**. 

richohart*. 

Madison. 

Catlaraunib 

MadbMm. 

JeBbnun. 

Ceiiasee. 

Cayuga. 

t'lmuiauqiw. 

l-'wwi. 

v\  HDichestar. 

Niagara. 

liriNin*. 

Uraen*. 

I.ewl*. 

HuUivan. 

Ulster. 

Sullivan. 

Livingsta*. 

Cattaraogwk 

Jeflbrsmi. 

Gen****. 

HteulMn. 

Chenango. 

St  Lawranea. 

St  Lawreooa. 

Albany. 

Broome. 

Herkimer. 

Dutchea*. 

Orauo*. 

HerkTmar. 

AHegany. 

Outcbeaa. 

Cayuga. 

Cattaraugw, 

Cortlandt. 

Onondaga. 

Oolumbu. 

Sehobariib 

OnoMlaga. 

Livingatin. 

Cayuga. 

Wayne. 

Niagara. 

NIsganu 

Saneca. 

Senaoa.        \ 

Tompldaa.    ' 

Jelbrson. 

St  LawranoB. 

St.  Lawiancc 

Oneida. 

Washington. 

Lewis. 

Sullivan. 

Ulster. 

Tompkina. 

BullivMi. 

WarrsB. 

Oriflana. 

Wayn*. 

Stauban. 

Lewi*. 

OnondagBi 


McConneUsvUle ....  Oneida. 
McOonough Chenango. 

MeGrBWstiHo £-s7iSS. 

McLean. tlampUna. 


.^ 


I 


i 


404 


PO0f-OFFICS8    IN    NEW   YOBK. 


Poft-OfflCM. 


Constin- 


MabbeUsTiUe Dutchess. 

Maoedou ;...  Wayne. 

MaoedoaOmter....  VVayne. 

^,..  MliBhlas  CaUuraugui. 

•""Ni^^f^-'  Maoomb i^t.  Lawrence. 

MadlsoD Madison. 

Mahopac Putnam. 

Madrid ^t  Lawrence. 

Mafinolla Chaatauque. 

Maine  Uroume. 

Maiden Ulster. 

Maiden  Bridge  ....  Columbia. 

Malone Franklin. 

Malta Saratoga. 

Maltavllle Saratoga. 

Mamaroneck Westchester. 

Mamakating  Sullivan. 

Manchester Ontario. 

Manchester  Bridge .  Dutchess. 

Manchester  Center .  Ontario. 

Mandaoa Onondaga. 

ManhattanviUe  ....  New  York. 

Manhasaet  Queens. 

Manheim  Herkimer. 

Manheim  Center . . .  Herkimer. 

Manlius Onondaga. 

Maulius  Ceuter Onondaga. 

MannsvUle Jefferson. 

ManorvUle Suffolk. 

Manafleld Cattaraugus. 

■^..^  Maple  Grove Otsego. 

^S.,  Marathon CortlandU 

Marbletown Ulster. 

Maroellus Onondaga. 

Marcellus  Falls Onondaga. 

Maroy  Oneida. 

Marengo Wayne. 

MawaretvUle Delaware. 

ManavUle Schenectady. 

Marietta  Onondaga. 

Marion Wayne. 

Mariboro' Ulster. 

MaiahaU Oneida. 

Manhfleld  Erie. 

Martinsburgh ......  Lewis. 

Martinsville Niagara. 

Martin's  Hill  Chemung. 

Martville Cayuga. 

Maryland  Otsego. 

Marvin Chautauqua. 

MasonvUle Delaware. 

Maisena St.  Lawrence. 

MatildaviUe St.  Lawrence. 

Matteawan Dutchess. 

MatUtuck Saffolk. 

Mayfleld  Fulton. 

May  vllle Chautauque. 

Mechanlcsville  ....  Saratoga. 

Hecklinburgh Tompkins. 

Medina Orieaus. 

Medusa Albany. 

Medw&y  Greene. 

Mellenville Columbia. 

Mendon  Monroe. 

Meridian Cayuga. 

Meredith Delaware. 

Merrick Queens. 

MerrillavlDe E^ranklin. 

Meaalna  Springs. . . .  Onondaga. 

Mexico Oswego. 

Middleburgh  ikihoharie. 

MIddlebury Wyoming. 

Middleaeld Otsego. 

Middlelleld Center. .  Otsego. 
Middle  Granville  ..Washington. 

Middle  Hope  iorange. 

Middle  Island ISuffolk. 


Pott^MBoai, 


Countin. 


Mlddleport 

Middlesex 

Middlotown 

Middletown  Center 

MiddlciylUe 

Milan 

Middle  Village  ... 

Millurd 

Milford  Center  — 

MUitary  Road 

Milieu's  Bay   

Miller's  Place 

Mill  Grove 

MilU'MUls 

Millport  

Mills'  Corners 

Milltown 

Millville  

Milo 

Milo  Center 

Milton 

Mina 

Minavllle 

Mine  Kill  Falls  ... 

Minden 

MindenviUe 

Minerva  

Minetto 

Mlnisink 

Mixville  

Modena 

Mofflt's  Store 

Mohawk 

Moira  

Mongaup 

Mongaup  Valley  . . 

Monroe 

Monroe  Works  . . . 

Monsey 

Monterey 

Montezuma 

Montgomery  

Montioelk)  

Moores 

Moore's  Forks  — 

Moravia  

Moreau  Station . . . 

Moreau    

Morehouseville  . . . 

Moreland 

MoresvlUe 

MorgansvUle 

Morlah 

Moriches 

MoringviUe 

Moriey 

Morris 

Morrisania 

Morristown 

Morrisvllle 

Morseville  . 

Mort<>iiT'  •  c-'-e  -  . 

MortonvUle 

Moscow 

Motthaven 

Mott's  Comers  .. 

MottvUle 

Mount  Cambria.. 

Mount  Hope  .... 

Mount  Kisco  .... 

Mount  Morris  . . . 

Mount  Pleasant . . 

Mount  Sinai 

Mount  Upton  ... 
Mount  VlBion — 

Mount  Washington 
Mud  Creek . . 
ilMumlisnl.... 


Niagara. 

Yates. 

Orange. 

Delaware. 

Herkimer. 

Dutchess. 

Queen*. 

Otsego. 

Otsego. 

Jefferson, 

Jefferson, 

Suffolk, 

Erie. 

Allegany. 

Chemung. 

Fulton. 

Putnam. 

Orleans, 

Yates. 

Yates. 

Ulster. 

Chautauque. 

Montgomery. 

Schoharie. 

Montgomery. 

Montgomery. 

Essex. 

Oswego. 

Orange. 

Allegany. 

Ulster. 

Columbia. 

Herkimer. 

FrankUn. 

Sullivan. 

Sullivan. 

Orange. 

Orange. 

Rockland. 

Dutchess. 

Cayuga. 

Orange. 

Sullivan. 

Clinton. 

Clinton. 

Cayuga. 

Saratoga. 

Saratoga. 

Hamilton. 

Chemung. 

Delaware. 

Genesee. 

Essex. 

Suffolk. 

Westchester. 

^t  Lawrence. 

Otsego. 

Westchestflr. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Madison. 

Schoharie. 

Erie. 

Orange. 

Livingston. 

Westchester. 

Tompkins. 

Onondaga. 

Niagara. 

Orange. 

Westchester. 

Livingston. 

Saratoga. 

Suffolk. 

Clieuango, 

Otsego. 

RtAllhAU. 

Steuben. 
Monroe. 


Pait.OfBoM. 


Murray. 


Countlu. 


Nanticoke  Springs. 

Nanuet 

Napanock  

Naples 

Napoli 

Narrowsburgh  .... 

Nashville 

Nassau 

Natural  Bridge.... 

Navarino 

Nelson 

Neperan 

Neversiuk   

New  Albion 

Newark   

Newark  Valley  . . . 
New  Ballimore  ... 

New  Bertin 

New  Berlin  Center 

New  Bremen 

New  Brighton  ... 

New  Britain 

Newbunth 

Newcastle 

New  Concord 

New  Fane  

Newfleld 

New  Graefenburg . 
New  Hackensack. . 
New  Hamburgh  . . 
New  Hampton  . . . 

New  Hartford 

New  Haven 

New  Huriey   

Newklrk's  Mills. . . . 

New  Lebanon 

New  liCbanonOenter 
New  Leb'n  Springs 

New  Lisbon 

New  London 

New  Milford 

New  Ohio  

New  Paltz   

New  Paltz  Landing 

New  Port 

New  Road  

New  Ruchelle  .... 

New  Russia    

New  Salem 

New  Scotland 

Newstead 

New  Sweden 

Newton's  Comers  . 

Newtown 

Newtonville 

New  Utrecht 

New  Vernon 

New  Village  

Newvllle 

New  Windsor  .... 
New  Woodstock  . 
New  York  City  . . . 
New  York MUls... 

Niagara  Falls 

Nichols 

NicholviUe 

Nile  

NUes 

Nine  Comers 

Nineveh  

Niskayuna 

Nlvervllle    

Norfolk    

North  Adams 

North  Almond  . . . 
Northampton 


Orleans. 

Broome. 

Rockland. 

Ulster. 

Ontario. 

Cattaraugus. 

SuUivan. 

Chautauque. 

Rensselaer. 

Jefferson. 

Onondaga. 

Madison. 

Westchester, 

Sullivan. 

Cattaraugus, 

Wayne. 

Tioga. 

Greene. 

Chenango. 

Chenango, 

Lewis. 

Richmond. 

Columbia. 

Orange. 

Westchester, 

Columbia, 

Niagara. 

Tompkins. 

Herkimer. 

Dukhess. 

Dutchess, 

Orange. 

Oneida. 

Oswego. 

Ulster. 

Fulton. 

Columbia. 

Columbia. 

Columbia. 

Otsego. 

Oneida. 

Orange. 

Broome, 

Ulster. 

Ulster. 

Herkimer. 

Delaware. 

Westchester, 

Essex. 

Albany. 

Albany, 

Erie. 

Clinton. 

Fulton. 

Queens. 

A'bauy, 

Kings, 

Orange. 

Suffolk. 

Herkimer, 

Orange. 

Madison. 

New  York. 

Oneida. 

Niagara. 

Tioga. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Allegany. 

Cayuga. 

Cayuga. 

Broome. 

Schenectady. 

Columbia. 

St.  Lawrence, 

Jeflbrson. 

Aliegnuy. 

Fulton, 


^ 


POST-OFFICES    IN    NEW   YOBK. 


405 


North  Argjrto .  ( 
North  Butfur.i 
Nurth  Buy  .... 
North  BerRea. 
North  HIeuheliu..., 
North  BloomMd  . . 

North  Button 

North  Brldgewiiter 
North  BruadiUbin  . . 
North  Brookneld  . , 
Nurth  Citmbrldc*  . . 
North  Ciimoron .... 

North  CMlItt  

North  Chatham..., 
North  ObHinung  . . . 

North  ChUI 

North  Olorenca  .... 
North Clarluon  .... 

North  Clyroer 

North  Cohoclon.... 
North  DuuDMbuiv 

North  EMt 

Northonat  Ottnter  .. 

North  Eiwtun , 

North  Elba 

North  EvuM 

North  Franklin  ... 

North  Qaff« 

North  tialway  .... 
North  Oraiivllle . . . 
North  Oreonwlch  . 
North  Oulirord  . . . 
North  Harndon  . . . 
North  Har|i«rifl«kl 
North  Httvuntraw.. 
North  Hebron    .... 

North  Hector 

North  HuiniMt«ad.. 

North  Hootle 

North  Hudson 

North  Java  

North  Kortright.... 
North  l.iaa»ltig  .... 
North  Lawrence  . . 
North  Llnklean .... 
North  MtddluMX  . . 
Nurtii  Norwich  .... 
Nurth  Purryiburg . . 

Nurthport    

North  PoUdam  .... 
North  Reading  .... 
North  Rldgewajr  . . 

North  UuMell 

North  Balein  

North  Sheldon  .... 

North  Shore  

North  Sparta 

North  Stepbentown 
North  Sterling  .... 
North  Tarrylown  . . 
Northumberland  . 
North  ITrbana ..... 

Northvllle  

North  Wealern  ... 
North  WetheraOekl 
North  White  Creek 
North  Wllna  ... 

Norton  HUl 

Norton'*  MilU    . 

Norway 

Norwich 

Nunda 

Nyack 

Myaok  Turnpike 


WartilBi-ton. 

Franklin. 

Oneida. 


tft^iield.. 
Oak  HiU  . 
Oaklaod  . 


Sohoharte. 

Onlarlu. 

Erie. 

Oneida. 

Fulton. 

MadifOD. 

Waahington. 

Steuben. 

Wealehetter. 

Columbia. 

CherouDg. 

Monroe. 

Erie. 

Monroe. 

Cbaulauqoe. 

Steuben. 

Schenectady. 

Outohea*. 

UutcheM. 

WathingtOD. 

Eanex. 

Brie. 

Delaware. 

Oneldfl. 

Sunttoga. 

Waablngton. 

Wttihlngton. 
Chenango. 

Delaware. 

Delaware. 

Rockland. 

Waihingtoo. 

Tompklne. 

Queeiii. 

Keniaelaer. 

Eaaex. 

Wyoming. 

Oulawore. 

Tompkin*. 

St,  Lawrence. 

ChonangO' 

Yateii. 

Chenango. 

Cttttaraugtti. 

Suffolk. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Steuben. 

Orleana. 

SI.  Lawrence. 

Weitch  eater. 

Wyoming. 

Riohmond. 

Llringdton. 

ReuMelaer. 

Cnyuga. 

Wealehetter. 

Saratoga. 

Steuben. 

Fulton. 

Oneida. 

Wyoming. 

Wmhington. 

JcffurMn, 

Oreeno. 

Ontario. 

Herkimer. 

Chenango. 
LlvlngtUin. 
Rockland. 
Rockland. 

Oenexee. 

Greene. 

liVlDgltOII. 


PottOfflui. 


UoohUm. 


Oak  Orchard  . 
Oak  Point  ... 
Oak**  Oomen. 

Oakavllie 

O'Connelrllle . 
Ogdensburgh . 

Ogden 

Ohio  

Oteott  

Olean  

OlWe 

Olive  Bridge  . 

Omar  

Oneida  Cattle. 

Oneida  Depot 

Oneida  Lake 

Oneida  Valley    — 

Oneonta  

Onondaga   

Onondaga  Cattle  .. 
Owmdaga  Hollow.. 

Ontario 

Oppenbeim 

Oron 

Orange 

Orange  Port   

OrangevUle 

Oregon 

Orient 

Oritkany  

Orltkany  Follt  .... 
nrieant 

Orleana  4  Comen. . 

Orwell 

Otbom't  Bridge 

Otbum  Hollow 

Oitlan 

Otwego   

Otwogo  Falli . . 

Utwogo  Village 

Otego  

Otiico 

OtitviUe  

OUdawa 

Ottello 

Otto 

Ouleout  

Ovid 

Owaaco    

Owatco  Lake.. 

Owego 

Oxbow 

Oxford 

Oxford  Depot. . 

Oyiter  Bay ... . 


Orleant, 

St.  Lawrence. 

Ontario. 

Ottego. 

Monroe. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Monroe. 

Herkimer. 

Niagara. 

Cattaraugus. 

Ulster. 

Ulster. 

Jefferson. 

Oneida. 

Madison. 

Madison. 

Madison. 

Otsego. 

Onondaga. 

Onondaga. 

Onondaga. 

Wayne. 

Pulton. 

Onondaga. 

Steuben, 

Niagara. 

Wyoming. 
Chautauque. 

Suffolk. 

Oneida. 

Oneida. 

Ontario. 

Jeffersun. 

Oswego. 

Fulton. 

Broome. 

Allegany. 

Oswego. 

Oswego. 

Dutcheaa. 

Otsego. 

Onondaga. 

Orange. 

Otsego. 

Chenango. 

Cattaraugus. 

Delaware. 

Seneca. 

Cayuga. 

Cayuga. 

Tioga. 

Jeflbrsoii. 

Chenango. 

Orange. 

Queeni. 


Ftnt-OfflcM. 


Page's  Comers  ... 
piune's  Hollow  . . . 

Painted  Post  

Palatine  

Palatine  Bridge... 

Paienvlile    

Palermo  

Palmyra  

Pamelia  4  Comen. 

Panama  

Papakunk  

Paris  

Parts  Furnace 

Parish  

Parishvilie 

Paiksvllle    

iPorma 

Parma  Center.... 
Partridge  Island.. 

iPaichln 

jFahibiiiii  MiiU  . . 

Putchogue 


ConntiM. 


Herkimer. 

Herkimer. 

Steuben. 

Montgomery. 

Montgumery. 

Greene. 

Oswego. 

Wayne. 

Jefferson. 

Chautauque. 

Delaware. 

Oneida. 

Ooeida. 

Oswego. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Sullivan. 

Monroe. 

Monroe. 

Delaware. 

Erie. 

Bieuoen. 

SuflbUt. 


Patten's  lUlla Washington. 

Patterson Putnam. 

Pauling Dutchess. 

Pavilion Genesee. 

Pavilion  Center 
PeatloeviUe. . . . 
PecksviUe    .... 

Peeksklll 

Pekin   

Pelham    

Peltouvllle  .... 
Pembroke  .... 
Penataqult  .... 
Pendleton   .... 

PenAeld  

Pen  Yan 

Peoria 

Pepadon 

Perch  River  . . 
Perrinton  ..... 

Perry    

Peng's  Corner 
Perry  Center  . . 
Perrysburxh  .. 
Perry's  Mills  . 

Perryvllle 

Perth    

Peru 

PeruvUle 

Peterboro'  ... 

Petenburgh    . 

Petersburgh  4  Cdi^ 
ners 

Pharsalla  

Phelps 

Philadelphia 

Pblllpspurt 

iPhilipsviUe 

Philips's  Creek  .. 

Phoenix   

Piermont 

Pierpont  

Pierrepont  Manor 

Pitfcrd 

Pike 

Pike  Pond  

Pillar  Point 

Pine 

Pine  Bush  

Pine  Grove 

Pine  HIU 

Pine  Plains 

Pine's  Bridge .... 

Pine  Valley 

Pineville 

Pinkney  

Pitcairu    

Pitcher 

Pitcher  Springs . . 

Pittefleld 

Pittsford  

PitUtown 

PlainHeld 

PbdnviUe 

Plank  Road 

Plato 

Plattekill 

Platttburgh....<. 

Pleasant  Brook  . . 

Pleasant  Plaint  . . 

Pleasant  Valley ....  Dutchdaa. 

Pleasant viUe  Wettchebter. 

Plesis   Weflbrson. 

Plymouth    jChenango. 

PoestenklU Rensselaer. 

Point  Peninsula. . . .  |Jel!terson. 

1  i'olacd jKrrkiiiirrs 

jPoUmd  Center. .....  IChautaaqae. 


Gene8eei--<«fe^|..^  ^j. 

Clinton.       ^^*' 

Dutchess. 

Westchester. 

Niagara. 

Westchester. 

Steuben. 

Genesee. 

Suflblk. 

Niagara. 

Monroe. 

Vatet. 

Delawaf). 

Jeflbrsou. 

Monroe. 

Wyoming. 

Dutchess. 

Wyoming. 

Cattaraugus, 

CUnton. 

Maditon. 

Fulton. 

Clinton. 

Tompklna. 

Madison. 

Rensselaer. 

Rensselaer. 

Chenango, 

Ontario. 

Jeflbrson. 

Sullivan. 

Allegany. 

Allegany. 

Oswego, 

Rocklmd. 

St  Lawrence. 

Jeflbnon. 

Livingston. 

Wyoming. 

Sullivan. 

Jeflbrson. 

Oneida. 

Ulster. 

Steuben. 

Ulster. 

Outchett. 

Westchester. 

Chemung. 

Steuben. 

Lewis. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Chenango. 

Chenango. 

Ottego. 

Monroe. 

Rensselaer. 

Otsego. 

Onondaga. 

Onondaga. 

CMtaraii^ai. 

Ulster. 

Clinton. 

Otaego. 

Dutcbei 


I 


i 


406 


PO^T-OfFICES    IN    NEW  YOKK. 

J 


FMt-OaOM, 


Polkvllle 

Pompey  

Pump^  Center . . . . 

PundEddy 

l^^foIHl  Settlement   . 

Poolville , 

tone's  Corners  ..., 

Popo's  Mills    

Puplai  Uidge 

Portagev.'Me 

Port  Byrou 

Port  Chester  

Port  Crane  

Porter's  Comers. . . 

Port  Gibson    

Port  Gluggow 

Port  Henry 

Port  Jackson 

Port  JeflbrsoQ 

Port  Jervis 

Port  Kendall 

Port  Kent    

Portland  

Port  Leyden  

Pon  Ontario   

Port  Riciimond  . , . 

Port.'ille  

Post  Creok 

PwtvUlf- . . 

PotsdSin    . .  

Poltar 

PotifirHSB  

Pi)ttei*F  'iiviinw  ... 
PotaijUie.. 

rotigt(!vi»piiio 

Fougu  tuag 

PonB'iiiigO..    .... 

Prsttsbut  ^h    

FMittllPi^i:"./    ... 
7::'X(-<'cPj    

Preble 

Preston 

Preston  Hollow  . . . 

Prospect  

Prospect  HiU 

Providence 

Pugsley's  Depot... 

Pultney 

PultnevTlUe    

PulrersCiomers... 

Purdy  Creek  

Purdy's  Station . . . 

Purvli 

Putnam  


Quaker  HOI 

Quaker  Springs. . . . 
Quaker  Street    . 
Queensbury    . . . 
Quogue    


Baekett  River 

Ramapo  Works. . . 

Randolph    

RausomvUle  

Baplds 

Rathboneville    . . . 

Raymortown 

RaymondviUe 

R^ing  

Reading  Center . . . 

Red  Bridge 

Red  Creek 

Red  Falls . 

RedHeld  

Rsd&rd 

Bed  Hook'!!!.!!! 

Red  Jacket 


CouBtllt. 


Onondaga. 

Onondaga. 

Onondaga 

Sullivan. 

Steuben. 

Mat-*  on. 

Sarik^oga. 

St  Lawrence, 

Cayuga. 

Wyoming. 

Cayuga. 

Westchester. 

Uroome. 

Saratoga, 

Ontario. 

Wayne. 

Essex. 

Montgomery. 

Suffi>lk. 

Orange. 

Essex. 

Essex. 

Ciiautanque. 

Lewis. 

Oswego. 

Richmond. 

Cattaraugus. 

Chemuiig, 

Herk'.oier. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Yates. 

iElensselaer. 

Albany, 

Warren. 

Dutchess. 

Dutchess. 

Westchester. 

Steuben. 

HadisoQ. 

Greene, 

Cortlandt, 

Chenango, 

Albany. 

Oneida. 

Bensselaer, 

Saratoga. 

Tooipklna. 

Steuben. 

Wayne. 

Dutchess. 

Steuben. 

Westchester. 

Sullivan. 

Washington. 

Dutchess. 

Saratoga. 

Schenectady. 

Warren. 

Suffolk. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Rockland. 

Cattaraugus. 

Niagara. 

Niagara. 

Steuben. 

Rensselaer. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Steuben. 

Steuben. 

Ulster. 

Wayno. 

Greene. 

Oswego. 

Dutchess. 
Erte. 


fofUXncai. 


Putnam. 

Jefferson. 

Ontario. 

Albany. 

Oneida. 

Albany. 

Saratoga. 

Niagara, 

Tompkina. 

Dutchess. 

Cattaraugna. 

Allegany. 

Ots^o, 

Otaegq. 

Tioga. 

Oswega 

Richmond, 

Ontario. 

Richmond. 

Schobarier 

St.  Lawrence. 

Livingston, 

Orange, 

Orleans. 

Monroe. 

Chautauque. 

Livingston. 

Ulster. 

vnSnpBOOf 

Jefferson. 
Monroe. 
Queens, 
Dutchess. 
Saratoga. 
Ghenungu, 
Sullivan. 
Rockland- 
Delaware. 
Yates. 
Herkiiper, 
Allegany. 
Queens. 
Jeflbrson. 
Oneida, 
{Seneca. 
Ulster. 
Oswego. 
Montgomery. 
Wayne. 
Ots^. 
Seneca. 
Ulster. 
Qjeens. 
St.  Lawrence. 
Richmond. 
Schenectady. 
Steuben. 
Allegany. 
Clinton. 
Delaware. 
Niagara. 
Jeflbrson. 
Monroe. 
Allegany. 
Ontario. 
St  Lawrence. 
Herkimer. 
JeflisrBon. 
Westchester, 

Jeflbrson, 

Hamilton. 

Suffolk. 

Orange. 

Essex, 

Saint  Lawrence — i Jefferson. 
Balem  IWaahington. 


RedMiUs 

Redwood 

Reed's  Corners  .... 

Reldaville    

Remsen   

Kensselaerviile  .... 
Rexlord  Platte  .... 
Reynales'  Basin.... 

ReynoldsviUe 

Rhinebeok 

Rice 

Richburgb 

Richfield 

Richfleid  Springs  . . 

Klchlbrd 

Richland 

Richmond  

Richmond  Mi);i« 

Richmond  Valley  . . 

Kichmondville  

RichviUe 

Ridge   

Ridgebury  

Ridgeway    

Riga 

Ripley 

River  Road  Forks.. 

Riverside 

Roanoke  

loberv's  Comers  . . 

Rochester    

Ruckaway  

Rock  City    

Rock  City  Mills .... 

l^ckdaie 

Rpckland 

Rockland  Lake .... 

RockRift    

Rock  Stream 

Sockton  

Rockville 

Rockville  Center  . . 

Rodman 

Rome   

Romulus 

Rondout 

Roosevelt    

Root 

Rose 

Roseboom  

Kose  Hill 

Rosendale  

Roslyn 

RoBsle 

Rossville 

Rotterdam  

Rough  nnd  Ready.. 

Rounsville 

Rouse's  Point... c 

Roxbury 

Royalton , 

Rural  HIU   

Rush 

Rushford 

Rushviile 

Russell 

Russia 

Rutland   

Rye 


Sackett's  Harbor 

Sagevllle 

Sag  Harbor 

6t  Andrew's  . . . . 
St  Armand 


Countiet. 


VatrfMtu. 


Salem  Center 

Salem  X  Roads . . . . 

Salina  

Salisbury 

Salisbury  Center  . . 
Salisbury  Mills  . . . . 

Salmon  Creek    

Salmon  River 

Salt  Point    

!<alt  SpringvlUe  , . . . 

Salubria 

Sammousvilk)    . . . . 

SampsonviUe 

Sana  Bank 

Sandburgh 

Sand  Lake  

Sands' Mills   

Sandusky    

Sandy  Ci-eek 

Sandy  Hill 

Sanford    

Sandford's  Comers 

SangerHekl 

Sarnnac    

Saratoga  Springs  . 

Sardinia  

Saugerties  

Sauquoit 

Savannah    

Savona 

Sayville  

Scarsdale 

Schagticoke    

Schenectady   

Schen'jvers 

Sobodack  Center  . 
Schodaok  Depot  . 
Schodack  Landing 

Schoharie    

Schroon  Lake  . . . 
Schroon  River  . . . 

Schutzville 

Schuyler's  Falls... 
Schuyler's  Lake    . 

SchuylersvUle 

Scio 

Sciota  

Sclpio  

Scipioville  

Sconondoa  

ScoUshtown 

Scott 

Scotia   

Scottsburgh    

Scottsvllle   

Scriba 

Searsburgh 

SeorBville 

Seatuck    

Seely  Creek 

Seelysburgh    

Sempronlus    .... 

Seneca  

Seneca  Custle 

Seneca  Falls  

Seneca  River 

Sennet 

Setauket 

Seward    

Shandnk** •  • 

Shondaken  Center 

Shannon  

Sharon 

Sharon  Springs  . . . 
Sharon  Center    . . . 

ShnrerUiwa    

SbawangunK  

Shawnee 


CoubUm, 


Westchester. 

Chautauque. 

Onondaga. 

Herkimer, 

Herkimer, 

Orange. 

Wayne. 

Oswego. 

Dutchess. 

Olsego. 

Chemung. 

Fulton, 

Ulster, 

Oswega. 

Sullivan. 

Rensselaer. 

Westchetier. 

Cattaraugus. 

Oswego. 

Waahington, 

Broome. 

Jefferson. 

Oneida. 

Clinton. 

Saratoga. 

Erie, 

Ulster. 

Oneida. 

Wayne. 

Steuben. 

Suffolk. 

Westchester. 

Rensselaer. 

Schenectady. 

Otsego. 

Rensselaer. 

Rensselaer. 

Rensselaer, 

Schoharie. 

Essex. 

Essex. 

Dutchess. 

Clinton. 

Otsego, 

Saratoga, 

Allegany. 

CUntou. 

Cayuga. 


Oneida.  - 

Orange. 

Cortlandt 

Schenectady, 

Livingston 

Monroe, 

Oswego, 

Tompkins, 

Orange, 

Suffolk. 

Chemung. 

Cattaraugus. 

Cayuga. 

Tompkins. 

Ontario. 

Seneca. 

Cayuga. 

CavusH. 

Suffolk. 

Schoharie, 

Ulster. 

Ulster. 

Steuben. 

Schoharie, 

Eclioharie, 

Schoharie, 

Delawo.0. 

Ulster. 

Niagara, 


P08T-0FFICE8   IN   t'BW   YORK. 


407 


PMt-OffloM. 


Cmatiat. 


ghawirille 

Bhelby 

Shelby  Basin 

Sheldon 

Sheldrake 

Shelter  Island 

Shenandoah  

Sherburne  

Hherldan 

Sherman 

Sherman's  Hollow . 

Sherwood's 

Shingle  Creek 

Shokaii 

Shungo 

Short  Track 

Short  Tract 

Shrub  Oak 

Shnshan  

Sidney 

Sidney  Center 

Sidney  Plains 

Siloam 

Silver  Creek 

Sing  Sing 

Skaneateles 

Slate  Hill 

Slaterville 

Sloausville  

Sluatsburgh 

»<mith's  Basin 

Smithsboro' 

Smith's  MUla 

Smitbtown 

Smithtown  Branch 

Smithville   

Smith Tille  Flats. . . 
Smoky  Hollow  . . . 

Smymp 

Sociality  

Sodus  

Sodus  Center  

Sodus  Point 

Solon 

BolsviUe  

Bomers  

Somerset 

SomerviUe 

South  Alabama  — 
South  Alden 

South  Albion 

South  Amunia  — 
South  Hampton — 

South  Argyle 

South  Avon 

South  llainbridge  . . 

South  Bar>d 

South  Berne   

South  Brudrurd  . . . . 
South  Brouktltild  . . 

South  ilristol 

South  Butler  

South  Byron  

South  Cairo 

South  Cameron  — 

South  Condor 

South  Canton 

South  Chili 

iteulh  Columbia... 

South  Corinth 

South  Coi'tlondt . . . 

South  Danby 

South  DaiisvlUe  . . . 
South  Dickinson  . . 

South  Dover  

Soi'Ui  Durham  . . . 


PoitOffiMl. 


Broome, 

Orleans. 

Orleans. 

Wyoming. 

Seneca. 

Suffolk. 

Dutcheaa. 

Chenango. 

Chautauquo. 

Chauteuque. 

Yates. 

Cayuga. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Ulster. 

Allegany, 

Allegany. 

Allegany. 

Westchester. 

Washington. 

Delaware. 

Delaware. 

Delaware. 

Madison. 

Chautauque. 

Westehester, 

Onondaga. 

Orange. 

Tompkins. 

Schoharie. 

Rockland. 

Washington. 

Tioga. 

Chautauque. 

Suffolk. 

Suflblk. 

Jefferson. 

Chenango. 

Columbia. 

Chenango. 

Cattaraugus. 

Wayne. 

Wayne. 

Wayne. 

Cortlandt. 

Madison. 

Westchester. 

Niagara. 

St  I^awrence. 

uQDGBOOf 

Erie. 

Oswego. 

Dutchess. 

Suffolk. 

Washington. 

Livingstun. 

Chenango. 

Orleans. 

Albany. 

Steuben. 

Madison. 

Ontario. 

Wayne. 

Genesee. 

Greene. 

Steuben. 
Tioga, 

St.  Lawrence. 

Monroe. 

Herkimer. 

Sairatoga. 

Cortlandt. 

Tompkins. 

Steuben. 

Franklin. 

Dutchess. 

Greene. 


Countiu. 


...1.  p»»» 


South  Edmeston 
South  Edwards  . 
South  Franklin  . 

South  Galway 

South  Granville  — 

South  Granby 

South  Hammond  . . 
South  Hartford  .... 
South  Hartwlck.... 

South  HUl  

South  Kortriglit. . . . 

South  Lansing 

South  Livonia 

i^tt'h  Lodi 

South  Marcellus  . . . 
South  MIddletown  . 

South  Milford 

South  New  Berlin. . 

^uthold 

South  Onondaga  . . . 

Sonth  Otselic 

South  Oxford 

South  SMe 

South  Owego 

South  Oyster  Bay  . . 
South  Ply  mouth  — 

Southport 

South  Pultney 

South  Richland  . . . . 

South  Royalton  — 

South  HuUand 

South  Sulem  

South  ijchodack.... 

South  Sodus  

South  Stephenlovni 

South  Thurston  — 

South  Trenton 

South  Valley 

South  Venice 

Southvllle 

South  Wales 

South  Warsaw  . . . . 

South  Westerloo . . . 

Southwidt  

South  Windsor  — 

South  Worcester  . 

Southwest  Oswego 

South  Wilson 

Spaflbrd  

.^palTord  Hollow.... 

Sparta 

Speedsvllle 

Spencer 

Spencorport 

Spenoertown 

Speonk 

Spraker'B  Basin  . . . 

Spring  Biook 

Springfleld 

Springfield  Center. 

Spring  Mills 

Spring  Valley 

SprlngvUle 

Springwater 

Sprout  Creek 

Staatsburgh 

Stafford 

Stanwix   

Stanley  Comers . . . 

t*tMnft)rd 

Stoiifordviile 

Staplelon  

Starkey  

StarkvUle 

State  Bridge 

Stcphentown 


Soulta  £aai«M IWaaliiogUn. '  'SterlingvUto. 


Otsego. 

St.JLawrenoe. 

Delaware. 

Saratoga. 

Washington. 

Oswego. 

St  Lawrence. 

Washington. 

Otsego. 

Steuben. 

Delaware. 

Tompkins. 

Livingston. 

Seneca. 

Onondaga. 

Orange. 

Otsego. 

Chenango, 

Suffolk. 

Onondaga. 

Chenango. 

Chenango. 

Richmond. 

Tioga. 

Queens. 

Chenango. 

Chemimg. 

Steuben. 

Oswego. 

Niagara. 

JeSbrson. 

WestchMter. 

Rensselaer. 

Wayne. 

Rensselaer. 

Steuben. 

Oneida. 

Otsego. 

Cayuga. 

St  Lawrence. 

Erie. 

Wyoming. 

Albany. 

Ulster. 

Broome. 

Otsego. 

Oswego. 

NlagtL-iu 

Onondaga. 

Ononiiaga. 

Livingston. 

Tompkins. 

Tioga. 

Monroe. 

Columbia. 

Suffolk. 

Montgomery 

Erie. 

Otsego. 

Ota^. 

Allegany. 

Rockland. 

Erie. 

Livingston. 

Dutchess, 

Dtttchriss. 

Genesee. 

Oneida. 

OnUirto. 

Delaware. 

Dutchess. 

Eldimond. 

Yates. 

Herkimer. 

Oneida. 

Rensselaer. 

CavuKB. 

ijeosrsoo. 


tott^Misn. 


Steuben. 

StevensvlUe 

Stillwater 

StittvUle  

Stockbridge 

Stockholm 

Stockport 

Stockport  Station  . . 

Stockton 

Stokes 

Stone  Arabia 

Stone  Church 

Stone  Mills 

Stone  Ridge 

Stony  Brook   

Stony  Creek 

Stormville  

Stowuil's  Comers  . 

Stow's  Square 

Stratford 

Strotton's  Fall  — 

StrykersviUe  

Stuy  veeant 

Stuyvesant  Falls  . . 

Success 

Suffera 

Suffolk 

Sugar  HUl   

Sugar  liOof 

Sullivan  

Sulllvanville   

Summer  HUl 

Summit 

Susquehannah  ... 
Suspension  Bridge 

Sweden 

Syracuse  


CooatiM. 


Taberg 

Taghkanick.... 
TannersviUe.... 
Tappantown.  .. 
Tarrytown  .... 

Taylor  

TaylorvUle  — 
Ten  Mile  Spring 

Texas   

Texas  Valley  . . 
The  Comer .... 

The  Glen 

The  Purchase  . 

Theresa 

The  Square .... 
ThompsonvlUe 
Thompson's  Station 
Three  Mile  Bay 
ThroopsvUle  .. 

Thurston 

Ticonderoga  . . . 
Tioga  Center  .. 
TivoU 

Toddsville  .... 
Tomhanuock  . 

Tompkins  vlllo 

Tonawonda . . . 

Tontine 

[TottenviUe  .... 

Tow'.flsvUle . . . 

Towners  

Town  Line  ■ . . 

Townsend  — 

TownsondviUe 

Transit 

Transit  Bridge 

Trenton 

Trenton  Falls  . 

Triangle   

Ji'inueaHiti  ... 


Oneida. 

Sullivan, 

Saratoga. 

Onekia. 

Madison. 

St  Lawrence. 

(Xtlumbia, 

Delaware, 

Chautauque. 

Oneida, 

Montgomery. 

Genesee, 

JeSbrson. 

Ulster. 

Suffolk. 

Warren. 

Dutchess. 

Jeftirson. 

Lewis. 

Fulton. 

Delaware. 

Wyoming. 

Columbia. 

Columbia. 

Suflblk. 

Rockland. 

Suflblk. 

Steuben. 

Orange, 

Madison. 

Chemung. 

Cayuga. 

Schoharie. 

Broome. 

Niagara. 

Monroe. 

Onondaga. 


Oneida. 

Columbia. 

Greene. 

Rockland. 

Westchester. 

Cortlandt 

Ontario. 

CattaraugUB. 

Oswego. 

CortUndt 

Ulister. 

Warren. 

Westchester. 

Jefferson. 

Cayuga. 

Sullivan. 

Suffolk. 

Jeflbrson. 

Cayuga. 

Steubei^ 

Essex. 

Tioga. 

Dutchess. 

Otsego. 

Rensselaer, 

Richmond. 

Erie. 

Steuben. 

Richmond. 

Steuben. 

Putnam. 

Erie. 

Chemung. 

Seneca. 

Genesee. 

Allegany. 

Oneida. 

Oneida. 

Broome. 


1! 


« 


408 


POBT-OFFICES    IN   NBW   YOIIK. 


F<Mt-0ae6t. 


Tronpabuigh 

Troy ■ 

TruutCreek   ...,. 

TrumMMbiugh  •••' 

j»«fe»i      Trumbttll  Ck>nien . 

,j-  ~'^**»*'<rruxU>Q 

Tuekahoe  

Tully  

Tully  Valley 

Turin 

Turners 

Tiucarora 

TutbiU 

Twulve  Mtle  Creek 

Tyre 

Tyrone  


VlaterrUle  

UnadUIn 

UnadUla  Center  . . . 
UnadiUa Forks  ... 

Union  

Union  Oenter 

Union  Corners  • . . . 

Union  EUery  

Union  Falis 

Union  Milis 

Union  Settlement . 
Union  Society  — 
Union  Springs  . . . 
Union  Squ»rn  . . . . 
Union  Va'.iey  . . . . 
Union  Vill?^e    . . . 

UnionvUle  

Unitaria 


Upper  Aquebogue 

Upper  Jay  

Upper  Usie 

Upper  Red  Hook  . 

Urbaua 

UUca 


ComllM. 


Vall'g  Mills 

Valatie 

Vallunia  Springs  .. 

Van  Buren 

Van  Buren  Center., 
Van  Buren  Harbor 
VauEttenvUle  .... 
Van  HumesTille    . . 

Varick 

Varna  

Varyeburgh    

Venice 

Verbaak 

VermUIion 

Vermon'. 

Vernal 

Vernon 

Vemon Center  ... 

Verona 

Verona  Mills 

VeiplsDk 

VenoUlea   

Vesper 

%'estia 

Veteran   

Victor 

Victory 

Vienna 

Villanova 

Virgil   

Vischer's  Ferr.' . . . 

Vista 

Volney 

Voluaia    


Steuben. 

Rensselaer. 

Delaware. 

Tompkins. 

Tompkins. 

Uortlondt. 

Westchester. 

Onondaga. 

Onondaga. 

Lewis. 

Orange. 

UvingstOD. 

Ulster. 

Steubeu. 

Seneca. 

Steuben. 

inster. 

Otsego. 

Ots^. 

Otsego. 

Broome. 

Broome. 

Livingston. 

Chautauque. 

Clinton. 

Fulton. 

Oswego. 

Greene. 

Cayuga. 

Oswego. 

Cortlundt. 

Broome. 

Orange. 

Broome. 

Suffolk. 

Essex. 

Broome. 

Dutcheee. 

Steuben. 

Oneida. 

r-ilton. 

Columbia. 

Broome. 

Onondaga. 

Onondaga. 

Cbautauquo. 

Chemung. 

Herkimer. 

Seneca. 

Tompkins. 

Wyoming. 

Cayuga. 

Dutchess. 

Oswego. 

Chautauque. 

Wyoming. 

Oneida. 

Oneida. 

Oneida. 

Oneida. 

Westchester. 

Cattaraugus. 

Onondaga. 

Broome. 

Chemung. 

Ontario. 

Caytin. 

Oneida. 

Chautauque. 

Cortlandt. 

Saratoga. 

Wostcheeter. 

Oswego. 

Chautauque. 


FMl-OfflOM. 


CooatlM. 


Wadham's  Mills  . 
Wading  Biver  ... 

Walden   

Waldensviiie 

Wales 

Wales  Center 

Waleevllki 

Walton 

Walworth  

Wampsrille   

Wappinger's  Falls 
Wardborough   ... 

WamerrUle    

Warren   

Warrensburgh  ... 

Warsaw  

Warwick 

Washington   

Washington  HoUow 
Washington  Mills. . 

WoterburKh  

Woterford  

Waterloo 

Wuterport  

Watertowtt 

Watervale 

Water  Valley 

WaterviUe 

WotervlUe  Comers 
Water  vUot  Center.. 

Watson   

Waverly 

Wawarsing 

Wayne 

Webster < . . . . 

Weedsport 

Wegatchle 

WeDicgton 

Wells  

Wellsburgh    

Wells'  Comer    .... 

WellsTiUe   

West  Addison   .... 
West  Almond  .... 

West  Amboy 

West  Aurora 

West  Bainbridge  .. 

West  Bergen 

WestBeriln   

WfrtBloomOeld  .. 

West  Branch 

West  BrookvUlti   .. 
West  Burlington  .. 

Westbury 

WestliuUer   

West  Camden   

West  Candor 

West  Carlton 

West  Cayuta 

West  Charlton  .... 

WestChazy    

Westchester  

West  ClarksvlUe  .. 
West  Coleeville .... 
West  Concord  . 
Weat  Conesus  . 
West  Constable. 
West  Danby  . . . 
West  Davenport 

West  Day    

West  Dresden  . 
West  Dryden  . . 
West  Edmeaton. 
WestBllery    ... 

Weslerloo   

Westemville  ... 


IATa**    V.tfMiia 


Essex. 

duflblk. 

Orange. 

Schoharie. 

Erie. 

Erie. 

Oneida. 

Dehkware. 

Wavne. 

Madison. 

Dutobeas. 

Warren. 

Schoharie. 

Herkimer. 

Warren. 

Wyoming. 

Orange. 

Dutch  OSS. 

Datcbeas. 

Oneida. 

Tompkins. 

Saratoga. 

Senecc 

Orleans. 

JetfeiBon. 

Onondaga. 

Srte. 

Oneida. 

Erie. 

Schenectady. 

Lewis. 

Tioga. 

Ulster. 

Steuben. 

Monroe. 

Cayuga. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Onondaga. 

Hamilton. 

Chemung. 

Orange. 

Allegany. 

Steuben. 

Allegany. 

Oswego. 

Er!e. 

Chenango. 

Genesee. 

Rensselaer. 

Ontario. 

Oneida. 

Sullivan. 

Otsego. 

Wayne. 

Wayne. 

Oneida. 

Tioga. 

Orleans. 

Chemung. 

Saratoga. 

Clinton. 

Westchester. 

Allegany. 

Broome. 

Erie. 

Livingston. 

Franklin. 

Tompkins. 

Delaware. 

Saratoga. 

Yates. 

Tompkins. 

Otsego. 

Chautauque. 

Albany. 

Cieida. 


Waddington  SL  Lawienoe.liWcs;  Falls lEric 


Patt.oaaH. 

CcortiM. 

West  Farming  ton.. 

Ontario. 

West  Farms  

Westchester. 

West  Fayette 

Wesifleld 

Seneca. 

Chautauque. 

West  Fort  Ann.... 

Waahinglun. 

Weettbrd  

Qtsiigo. 

Weatfowler 

St.  l^wrence. 

Weat  Fulton 

West  Gaines  

Orieans. 

West  Gaiway 

Fulton. 

West  Genesee   — 

Allegany. 

WestGUboa 

Sohoiurie. 

West  Greece 

Monroe. 

West  Grecufleld    .. 

Ssraloga. 

West  Greenwood.. 

Steuben. 

WestGroton 

Tompkins. 

WestHadiey 

Saratoga. 

West  Hebron 

Washington. 

Weet  UenrietU .... 

Monroe. 

West  Hills 

Suflbik. 

West  Hurley 

Ulster. 

WestJunius 

Seneca. 

WestKendaU    .... 

Orleans. 

WestKUl    

Greene, 

WesttAurens   .... 

Otsego. 

West  Lexington    .. 

Greene. 

West  Loyden 

Uwls. 

WestLinklean  .... 

Chenango. 

WestLowville  .... 

Lewis. 

WestMacedon.... 

Wayne. 

West  Martiusburgh 

Lewis. 

West  Meredith  .... 

Delaware. 

WeetMUtou  

Saratoga. 

West  Monroe 

Oswego. 
Oneida. 

Westmoreland  .... 

WertMoriah 

Essex. 

WestNewaik    .... 

Tioga. 

WestNewstead... 

Erie. 

WestNUes 

Cayuga. 

Weston   

Steuben. 

West  Oneouta 

Otsvgo. 

West  Onondoga. . . . 

(Jnondaga. 

West  Perth 

Fulton. 

West  Plattsburgh  . . 

Clinton. 

West  Perrysburgh 

Cattaraugus. 

West  Point 

Orange. 

Westport 

Essex. 

West  Potsdam  .... 

St.  Lawrence. 

West  Rush 

Monroe. 

West  Sand  Lake  . . 

keiiBBelaer. 

West  Schuyler  .... 

Herkimer. 

West  Shandaken  . . 

Ulster. 

West  Shongo 

Allegany. 

West  Somers 

Wi;.4tche8tf  • 

West  Somerset. . . . 

Niagara. 

West  Siephentown 

'.tonsselaer. 

West  Stockholm  . . 

3t.  Lawrence. 

West  Tagbkanlu  .. 

Columbia. 

West  Theresa 

JeBbrson. 

West  Town    

Orange. 

West  Tn^upsburg . . 

Steuben. 

West  Trey 

Albany. 

West  Union  

Steuben. 

West  Vienna 

Oneida. 

WustvlUe 

Otsego. 

WestWaiwortii    .. 

Wayne. 

West  Webster  .... 

Monroe. 

WestWindwr  .... 

Broome. 

West  WInileld  .... 

Herkimer. 

West  Yorkshire  . . . 

Cattumugua. 

WethersfieM  

Wyoming. 

WetheiBlleld  Bpri'gs 

Wyoming. 

Whaliunsburgh.... 

Essex. 

WheaUand 

Monroe. 

Wheatvllle 

Genesee. 

Wheeler 

Steuben. 

ii  iVhllA  nnwlc 

Waahiniiton. 

llWhiteUoU 

Waablngton. 

% 


\ 


rOBT-OFFICES   IN    NEW  YOBK. 


409 


Pgtt-OfllMl. 


White  Lake  

While  PliiliM 

Whilskle's  C«>rucnt 
Whiki's  Suire    ... 

WhIUMiowii   

Whilesville 

WhitlucUvitle 

Whitney's  I'nint    . 
Whitmiv's  Valley  . 

Wlllett 

Williamsbiirgh  ... 

Wllllamsitu 

Wllliumstowii  .... 

Wllllumsviik) 

Willing   

Willink   

Wlllsboro*  

Willseyville    

Wlbnliigton   


CounllfD. 


Sttlllvan. 

Weslohester. 

Hnmlogii. 

Chenango. 

Uiieldn. 

Allegany. 

Westchester. 

Hruuinti. 

Allegiuiy. 

CurtrHndt. 

Kings. 

Wayne. 

<  Hiwegu. 

Erie. 

Allegany. 

ftlrie. 

Essex. 

Tioga. 

Essex. 


FMl-CMlMt. 


Wilraut   

Wllna 

Wilson's 

Wlium 

Winiirull 

Windham  

Windham  Center  , 

Windsor < 

Winlluld 

Wirt 

Wlscoy    < 

Wolcolt   

Woodboiirne 

Woodhull   

Woodstock 

Woodvllle 

Woodwardsviile  . 

Worcester  

Worth  vlUe 


Conntiat. 


Herkimer. 

Juirermtn. 

NiHgiirii. 

iJurutotm. 

Uiioiiduga. 

lireene. 

(iraene. 

Ilroorno, 

Herkimer. 

Allegany. 

Allegany. 

Wuyne. 

aulllvan. 

Sitmben. 

Ulster. 

JeflbmoD. 

Essex. 

Oisogo. 

Jefferson. 


rnt-OflMt. 


Wright's  OoiMn.. 

WriKliUvllle  

VVurlHlioro' 

Wyiiuntskill   

Wyucoop's  Creek . . 
Wyoming   

Yaphouk 

Yates   

Yatesrille   

Yonkers 

York 

Yorkville 

Yorkshire  ........ 

Yorktown   

Youngstown  

YoungsvlUe    

Zoar 


CounlUt. 


Nbigara. 

CJnlon. 

SuinvuB. 

Rensselaer. 

Chemung. 

Wyoming. 

Buflblk. 

Orleans. 

Ystes. 

Westchesto- 

l.lvlngflon. 

NewYork. 

Cattaraugus, 

Weslebetler. 

Niagara. 

SuUivaii. 


Erie. 


POST  OFFICES  RECENTLY  ESTABLISHED. 
With  additioM  and  Correetioru  of  the  foregoing  Liet. 


I 


Fnt-Offlui. 

OmntlM.      1 

POfUOfflOM. 

Ceuntlti. 

FMt.Offl««. 

CouBtin. 

Allensville 

Bentley's  Comers. 
Big  Creek 

Allegany. 

Jeflersoii. 

Steuben. 

Bt  Lawrence. 

Ulster. 

Tompkins. 

Franklin. 

Cattaraujius. 

Herkimer. 

Steuben. 

Queens. 

Otsego. 

St  Lawi-enee. 

Erie. 

Delaware. 

'Niagara. 

'Delaware. 

{Erie. 

'Allegany. 

Oswego. 

c;:aton. 

Cortlandt 
Orleoiu. 

Edgar  Lake ,. 

Franklin  Falls.... 
Freehold    

Herkimer. 
Franklin. 

1 

North  Parme 

Northvllle 

Onoville 

Oramel. 

Osceola  .......... 

Monroe. 

Jefferson. 

CattarKugus. 

l"X'- 

BreerHill 

Brick  Creek.. •••• 

Garrison' Futnam. 

Qravsville ...iHnrklniHr. 

Brush's  Mills...... 

Turk's  Mills 

Qrand  Island...... 

ManUno 

Erie. 

Sullivan. 

Essex. 

Pendleton  Center . 

Pine  Wood 

Portlundville 

ilasoag • .. 

Niagara. 
Mamson. 

Cattaraugus 

Cedar  l.nke  .••••• 

Harriettstown  .... 
(lastinirf '  Center . . 

Otsego. 

Oswego. 

Saratoga. 

Lewis. 

Chonango. 

Suffolk. 

Allegany. 

Center  Cunlateo  . . 

College  Point 

CnlKersviUe ...... 

CrMg's  Mills 

Crittenden.... 

Hawkins'  Creek  ..| Sullivan. 

HUlSide Oneida. 

Howard Delawnre. 

Hunt's  Hollow . . .  .'Livingston. 
Tewett  Center  ....  nraann 

South  Greeaville.. 
South^Harrisburg  . 
iDouthport ........ 

Ouinmitville 

SDrinffS.....  ..•••. 

La  Halle 

Niagara. 

Madison. 

Oneido. 

Delfcwsre. 

Jeifernon. 

Allegany. 

Madison. 

Monroe. 

Btockhoint  Depot . 

Webb's  Mills 

West  Bethany .... 
West  Cameron  ... 
White  Corners. . . . 
Whitney's  C^omers 
Wllllami-  Bridge.. 
WIskaguna 

Dlckersonvillo  . . . . 

Downvllle 

East  Eden: 

EaatKoy 

East  Parish 

East  Place 

East  Scott 

East  Shelby 

Law  Office  BuUd'gs 

Lee  Center  

Monumeiit  bland. 
Narrows. ......... 

Ch«mung. 
Geness.  a. 
Staubec. 
Erie. 

New  Hudson 

North  BloomAeld  . 
North  Greece 

Jefferson. 

WestCheiter 

Schenectady. 

^' 


r.. 


/ 


1594, 

1609 

16U 

1614, 

1616. 

1619, 


1880, 


168& 
1611. 


1689. 
1640. 
164S. 
1648. 

U 

1647. 
1650. 

1654 
165& 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE 


or 


IMPORTANT  AND   INTERESTING    EVENTS 


IN  THK 


HISTORY   OF  NEW   YORK. 


15524. 
1609. 
1611. 
1614. 
1616. 
1619. 
1620. 
1623. 
1629. 
1630. 
1632. 
1633. 
1638. 


1639. 
1640. 
1642. 

1643. 

(I 

1846. 
1647. 
1650. 

1654. 
165a. 
IfcJI. 
16M. 


( 


Verrazzano,  a  Florentine,  discovers  the  harbor  of  New  York. 

Henry  Hudson,  an  Englishman,  sails  up  the  river  that  bears  his  name. 

Champlain,  a  Frenchman,  discovers  the  lake  which  bears  his  name. 

The  Dutch  build  a  fort  and  trading  house  at  New  York,  and  at  Albany. 

Kingston  first  settled. 

Dermer,  an  Englishman,  the  first  who  sailed  through  Long  Inland  Sound. 

The  Dutch  West  India  Company  established. 

Peatl-stjeet  formed,  the  first  street  ever  made  in  New  York. 

Wouter  Van  Twiller,  the  Dutch  governor,  arrived  in  New  Amsterdam. 

Michael  Paw,  a  Dutc!i  subject,  purchases  Staten  Island  of  the  Indians. 

West  end  of  Long  Island  began  to  be  settled  by  the  Dutch. 

The  Dutch  erect  a  small  fort  at  Hartford,  Conu. 

William  Kieft  succeeded  Van  Twiller  as  governor  of  New  Netherland. 

War  with  the  Swedes  on  the  Delaware. 

Negro  slaves  introduced  into  New  Netherland. 

The  English  settled  at  Oyster  Bay :  they  were  driven  off"  by  Gov.  Kieft. 

The  English  settle  Southampton,  Long  Island. 

The  Dutch  fort  Hope  at  Hartford  seized  by  the  English. 

The  New  England  colonies  leagued  against  the  Dutch  and  Indians. 

First  church  erected  in  New  York. 

Battle  between  the  Dutch  and  Indians  at  Horse  Neck. 

Peter  Stuyvesant  arrives  as  the  successor  of  Gov.  Kieft. 

Gov.  Stuyvesant  arriving  at  Hartford,  demands  a  surreuder  of  the  lands  on  Cfl»- 

necticut  River. 
The  tract  now  Westchester  County,  purchased  of  the  Ind'  rig  by  T.  FeU. 
Fort  Casimer  on  the  Delaware  captiu«d  from  the  Swedes- 
Hostilities  with  the  Indians  near  Esopiw,  ^iCingston.) 
Charles  II.  gtmis  New  Netherland  to  the  Duke  of  York. 


/^' 


^^ 


/ 


\ 


/ 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE. 


1664 


1665. 


1666. 

1667. 

1668. 

1669. 
« 

1672. 

1673. 
<i 

i< 


1675. 
1676. 

1679. 
1682. 
1683. 


1G84. 
168.'). 
1686. 


1687. 
1688. 
1689. 

1690. 
1691. 


« 

J  692. 

1693. 
(I 

i( 

1694. 
i< 

1696. 


Col.  Nichols,  with  mi  armed  force,  compels  Gov.  Stuyveflaiit  to  Nurrender  New 

Amsterdam  to  the  English,  which  now  is  named  New  York. 
New  York  incorporated :  Thomat  Willet  the  first  mayor. 
John  Shute  licensed  to  teach  the  English  language  at  Albany. 
Town  and  county  rates  paid  in  beef  and  pork. 
The  French  from  Canada  send  an  expedition  against  the  Mohawks. 
Col.  Francis  Lovelace  succeeds  Col.  Nichols  as  governor. 
A  carriage  road  from  New  York  to  Harlaem  ordered  to  be  made. 
Gov.  Lovelace  institutes  horse  raeea  at  Hempstead,  L.  I. 
Catharine  Harrison  accused  of  witchcraft :  tried  by  the  Assizes. 
The  New  England  Indians  unsuccessfully  invade  the  Mohawks 
The  first  Friend,  or  Quaker,  preached  in  New  York. 
War  with  Holland :  Now  York  surrendered  to  the  Dutch. 
Anthony  Clove  appointed  governor,  surrendered  to  the  English  the  next  year. 
First  post-rider  between  New  York  and    Boston,  made  a   trip  once  iu  three 

weeks. 
Fort  Frontenac  built  at  Ontario. 
Edmund  Androa  appointed  governor  of  New  York. 
Price  of  grain  fixed  by  the  governor :  winter  wheat  5s.,  summer  wheat  4«.  &d.  per 

bushel. 
No  bolting  mills  allowed,  or  flour  packed  out  of  New  York. 
The  Duke  of  York's  charter  granted. 
Thomas  Dongan  arrives  as  successor  of  Gov.  Andros. 
First  Legislative  Assembly  of  New  York  convened  at  Hempstead. 
None  bnt  freemen  allowed  to  trade  up  Hudson  River. 
M.  de  la  Barre  invades  the  country  of  the  Five  Nations. 
The  Jews  petition  for  liberty  to  exercise  their  religion  ■  petition  not  granted. 
King  Jam(!S  II.  forbids  the  use  of  printing  presses  in  New  York. 
City  of  New  York  pays  10  per  cent,  interest  for  borrowed  money. 
Albany  incorporated  a  city. 

M.  Denonville  with  2,000  French  and  Indians  marches  against  the  Senecas. 
New  York  and  New  Jersey  added  to  the  jurisdiction  of  New  England. 
The  Five  Nations  make  a  descent  en  Montreal. 
Accession  of  WiJliam  and  Mary :  Leisler  seizes  the  fort  at  New  York. 
Schenectady  destroyed  by  the  French  and  Indians. 
Col.  H.  S'oughter  arrives  as  gove/nor  of  the  province  of  New  York. 
Leisler  and  Milbom  executed  for  high  treason. 

First  General  Assembly  convened  in  New  York  consisted  of  17  mnmberi,  April  9 
French  settlements  on  Lake  Champlai\L  invaded  by  Maj.  Schuyler 
The  Duke's  laws  ceased,  provincial  laws  began. 
Col.  Benjamin  Fletcher  arrives  as  govenior. 
An  Episcopa'  Ihurcb  (established  in  New  York. 
Count  F:ontRnac  makes  an  incursion  into  the  MohaWk  country. 
Gov.  Fletcher  attempts  the  command  of  the  militia  of  Connecticot. 
Treaty  with  tbe  Five  Nations  at  Albany. 

Capt.  Kid<1  the  pirate  committed  depredations  on  the  coast  about  this  pejiod. 
Count  Frontenac  marches  against  tlis  Five  Nations. 
About  6,000  inhabitants  in  New  York  City  at  tiui  period  -.  complaints  of  great 

soaroity  of  bread.  '^  _ 


I 


\ 


CHRONOLOOICAL  TABLK. 


1698. 
1699. 

1700. 

1701. 
(( 

1702. 
1707. 
1708. 
1710. 
<i 

1711. 

1712. 

1719. 

1720. 

(I 

1722. 
(I 

1725. 

1728. 
1729. 

1730. 

1731. 
<< 

1732. 

M 

1736. 
1738. 

1741. 
1743. 
1747. 
1750. 
1751. 
1753. 


1754. 
•< 

1755. 


17S6. 


Richard,  Earl  of  Bellamont,  arrivei  as  governor. 

Captain  Kidd  arrested  at  Boston:  his  money,  buried  at  Gardiner's  Island,  se- 
cured. 

The  Legislature  passed  a  law  to  hang  every  Popish  priest  who  entered  the  pro- 
vince to  entice  the  Indians  from  their  allegiance.  ^"s^. 

A  court  of  chancery  organized  in  New  York.  ^**"v    " 

Lord  Cornbury  arrived  as  governor. 

Great  sickness  in  New  York  :  General  Assembly  held  at  Jamaica. 

Lord  Cornbury  prohibits  the  Presbyterians  from  preaching  without  hi<  lineiisa. 

Lord  Lovelace  arrives  as  governor :  he  dies  the  next  year. 

Col.  Schuyler  visits  England  with  five  Indian  chiefs. 

Robert  Hunter  arrived  as  governor,  with  3,000  Palatines. 

£10,000  in  bills  of  credit  issued,  to  aid  the  war  in  Canada. 

A  slave  market  in  Wall-street,  New  York. 

Insurrection  of  negroes  in  New  York:  19  of  them  executed. 

First  Presbyterian  church  in  New  York  founded. 

William  Burnet  (son  of  Bishop  Burnet)  arrives  as  governor. 

A  tax  of  2  per  cent,  laid  on  European  goods  imported. 

Trading  house  erected  at  Oswego. 

Congress  held  at  Albany  with  the  Six  Nations. 

"  Now  York  Gazette,"  the  first  newspaper  published  in  New  York. 

Col.  John  Montgomery  succeeds  Gov.  Burnet. 

The  Society  in  London  for  propagating  the  Gospel  in  foreign  parts,  present  tha 
city  of  New  York  a  library  of  1,642  vchimes. 

Jews  synagogue  built  in  Mill-street. 

Boundary  between  New  York  and  Connecticut  settled. 

The  French  erect  a  fort  at  Crown  Point. 

William  Cosby  arrives  as  governor  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey. 

The  first  stage  began  to  run  between  Boston  and  New  York  once  a  month :  four- 
teen days  on  the  journey. 

Gov.  Cosby  died  :  he  is  succeeded  by  George  Clarke. 

The  Mayor  of  New  York  refuses  to  obey  the  order  for  the  impressment  of 
seamen. 

Celebrated  negro  plot  in  New  York  suppressed. 

George  Clinton  arrives  as  captain-general  and  governor. 

Saratoga  village  destroyed  by  the  French  and  Indians.  \ 

A  theatre  established  at  New  York.  I, 

Treaty  with  the  Six  Nations  at  Albany. 

Gov.  Clinton  is  succeeded  by  Sir  Danvers  Osbom,  who  commits  suicide  five  days 
after  his  arrival :  he  is  succeeded  in  the  government  by  James  De  Lancy. 
Mild  winter  in  this  and  the  three  following  years— sloops  went  from  New  York 
to  Albany  in  January  and  February. 

A  plan  for  colonial  imion  drawn  up  at  a  convention  at  Albany. 

Ming's  College  (now  Columbia)  founded  in  New  York. 

Sir  Charles  Ha-xly  arrives  as  governor. 

Provincial  troops  rendezvous  at  Albany :  Fort  Edward  built. 
Battle  o<  Lake  George,  Sept  8 :  French  defeated,  Dieskau  killed 

Gmu  Shirley  arrives  at  Oswego  Aug.  21. 

FWt  Oswego  taken  Mid  demolished  by  M.  Montcalm  Aug.  14 


i 
,1 


.^"  ■ '  i 


/ 


f.  *j 


/" 


/' 


sno! 


,.^ 


1757. 
1758. 


1759. 
u 

« 

1760. 

« 
1761. 


1763. 
II 

1765. 
II 

1766. 
11 

1767. 

1769. 

1770. 

1771. 

1774. 
11 

1775. 

II 
II 
II 
II 

1776. 
II 

II 

(I 
II 
II 
II 

II 


1777. 

M 
II 
II 


OIKONOLOOICAL  TAHLI. 

Fort  William  TIcnry  taken  uy  Montcalm  Aug.  9. 

Gen.  Abercrombie  defciated  ut  Tioonderogn  July  8  with  great  Ionl 

Fort  Stanwix  built  where  Rome  now  itandg. 

Fort  I^rontenao  tak«n  by  Col.  Braditreet  Aug.  37. 

Ticonderoga  taken  by  the  English  July  97. 

Sir  Wm.  Johnaon  dcf«at8  the  French  at  Niagara  July  34. 

Battle  of  Quebec,  Sept.  13,  Gen.  Wolfo  and  Montoalm  killed. 

Capitulation  of  M.  de  Vaudreuil  at  Montreal— entire  reduction  of  Canada,  Hep< 

tember  8. 
Baptist  Church  in  Gold-street,  N.  Y.  erected. 
Cadwnllader  Golden  having  assumed  the  government  as  President  of  the  Council 

in  1760,  is  appointed  lieutenant  governor  in  August :  is  superseded  by  Gen.  Ro. 

bert  Moncton  in  October  of  this  year. 
Controversy  with  New  Hampshire  respecting  boundaries,  commences. 
A  Methodist  chapel  erected  in  New  York. 

Congress  of  delegates  from  the  colonies  met  in  New  York  in  October. 
Sir  Henry  Moore  arrived  as  governor. 

Riots  on  the  manor  of  Rensselaer,  four  persons  killed,  June  26. 
Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland  commences  a  mission  among  the  Oneidas. 
Boundary  of  Massachusetts  fixed  at  20  miles  east  from  Hudson  River. 
Gov.  Moore  dies :   the  government  devolves  on  Mr.  Colden. 
John,  Lord  Dunmore,  governor :  he  is  succeeded  in 
by  WilUam  Tryon,  the  last  of  the  royal  governors. 
Difficulties  with  the  settlers  of  the  New  Hampshire  Grants. 
Ann  Lee  with  a  number  of  Shakers  arrived  at  New  York. 
Provincial  Convention  assembled  at  New  York  April  22,  and  delegates  to  the 

Continental  Congress  appointed. 
Ticonderoga  surprised  and  taken  by  Col.  Allen  May  10. 
Provisional  Congress  at  New  York  May  22d  :  Committee  of  Safety  appointed. 
Gov.  Tryon  at  New  York  for  safety  retires  on  board  of  a  packet  in  October. 
Gen.  Montgomery  killed  at  Quebec  Dec.  31. 
Gen.  Schuyler  disarms  the  royalists  in  Tryon  County,  in  January, 
Royalists  on  Long  Island  disarmed  by  thn  Jersey  militia. 
The  fourth  Provisional  Congress  assembled  at  White  Plaina :   Declaration  of 

Independence  adopted  July  9. 
Lord  Howe  with  24,000  men  lands  at  Gravebend,  L.  I.  Aug.  33. 
Battle  on  Long  Island,  Americans  defeated,  Au|;.  27. 
Gen.  Washington  retires  from  Long  Island  to  New  York  Aug.  30. 
The  British  take  possession  of  the  city  of  New  York. 
Great  fire  in  New  York,  about  1,000  buildings  consumed  Sept.  21. 
Battle  of  White  Plains  Oct.  28. 
Gen.  Arnold  defeated  on  Lake  Champlain  Oct.  13. 
Fort  Washington  on  the  Hudson  surrendered  Nov.  16. 
Inhabitants  of  New  Hampshire  Grants  declare  themselves  independent  of  Nen 

York,  and  that  district  a  state  by  the  name  of  Vermont,  in  January. 
Convention  at  Kingston — Statk  Constitution  adopted  April  20. 
Oeorge  Clinton  appointed  governor  July  30. 
Burgoyne  invests  Ticonderoga  June  30,  St.  Clair  retreats 
Gen.  Burgoyne  arrives  at  Fort  Edward  July  30. 


OHtONOLOOICAt  TA: 


iiu. 


1777. 


<i 
i< 
ti 

1778. 
it 

u 

1779. 


1780. 


■■\ 


1781. 
1782. 
1783. 
1784. 

i< 
II 
II 

1785. 
II 

1786. 
II 

II 

1787. 
1788. 

II 

1789. 
II 

1790. 
II 

1792. 


1793. 

1794. 

II 

1795. 
II 

■I 
1796. 


Bittli?  of  (-'r^^kany,  Gea.  llerkim^f  mortally  wounaad,  Ang.  8. 

Battle  of  Ben   ington,  Britlih  lii     iil  d,  Aug.  26. 

Porta  Montgoinflry  and  Clinton  taken  by  the  Britiah  Oot^' 

Battle  of  Stillwater,  Gbii   Frazer  killc  ,  Uct.  7. 

Hurrendor  uf  Burgoyne  at  Saratoga  U<  t.  17. 

Kingaton  burnt  by  (;ien.  Vaughan  in  Uotober. 

The  Icgiilaturo  aBnumbled  at  PoughkcrpNiu  Jan.  15. 

Col.  Uaylor'i  troop  aurprJHod  at  Tappun  Aug.  28. 

Cherry  Valley  burnt  by  the  Indians  and  torit<a  Nov.  11. 

Capture  of  Htony  Point  by  (Jen.  Wayne  July  16. 

Britiah  puat  ut  Puulua  Hook  8urp<-iMd  by  MuJ.  Lee  July  19. 

Gen.  Sullivan  ravage*  thu  country  of  the  Hix  Nationa. 

Dark  day  commenced  at  Now  York  10  o'clock,  A.  M.  May  19. 

Sir  John  Johnaon  IVom  Canail  <  niakHR  an  incunion  into  Johiiitown  May  21 

The  Indiana  uudur  Brunt  ravu)ri:  the  Mohawk  valley. 

Treason  of  Arnold  :  Andru  taken  Hnpt.  23d,  exocuted  Oct.  2. 

Severe  Wintar,  harbor  of  New  York  frozen  over. 

Maj.  Roan  and  Butler  maki>  an  incursion  into  Johnstown,  W.  Butler  killed. 

Sir  Guy  Carlton  commander  of  thu  British  in  Now  York. 

NeiB  York  evacuated  by  the  British  Nov.  25. 

First  voyage  from  the  United  States  to  China,  by  the  "  Empress  of  China"  ftwa 

New  York,  a  ship  of  300  tons,  Feb. 
Seat  of  Bt.ite  government  removed  to  Albany. 

Whitestown,  near  Utica,  first  settled  by  Hugh  White  (Vom  Connecticut. 
University  of  the  State  of  Now  York  created  :  regents  appointed. 
Hudson  incorporated  a  city.  , 

Congress  of  the  United  States  met  in  the  city  of  New  York.  / 

The  Genesee  country  granted  to  Massachusetts.  ,' 

Bank  of  New  York  in  operation.  , ' 

First  Catholic  church  built  iu  the  city  of  New  York. 
Columbia  College  in  New  York  incorporated. 
Doctors'  mob  in  New  ¥«rk,  occasioned  by  the  dissection  of  dead  bodies:  several 

persons  killed.  ; 

Cooperstown  village  laid  out — incorporated  in  1812.  « 

Washington  inaugurated  Prosident  in  New  York  April  30.  \ 

Vermont  acknowlodgnd  an  independent  state.  \ 

Gcneseo  first  settled  by  William  and  James  Wadsworth.  1 

Canandaiijua,  first  settlement  commenced. 

Society  to  promote  Agriculture,  Arts,  and  Manufactures  eatabliihed. 
Bath  first  settled  by  Capt.  E.  Williamson. 
Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company  incorporated. 
Auburn  first  settled  by  Col.  Hardenbergh. 
Union  College  at  Schenectady  founded. 
Geneva  founded  by  Messrs.  Annin  and  Barton. 
John  Jay  laoceeds  Mr.  Clinton  as  governor. 
Cazenovia  village  founded  by  Col.  Linklaen  front  Amataidam. 
Baron  Steuben  dies  at  Steuben  Nov.  28. 
Forts  Oswegatchie  and  Oswego  evacuated  by  the  British. 
Sloop  Detroit,  first  American  Teiael  on  l^e  Brie. 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STRUT 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SM 

(716)872-4503 


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1798. 

M 

1800. 

1801. 
<i 

(f 

« 

« 

1803. 
« 

1803. 

1804 

1805. 
<i 

1807. 
(( 

1809. 
1813. 

u 

« 

II 

1813. 
II 

,   it 

\" 

II 
<i 

1814. 


1815. 
1816. 


1817. 
1818. 
1819. 


1830. 
1831. 

II 

II 
1883, 
1833. 


OliOLOOICAL  TABLE. 


Yellow  Fever  in  the  city  of  New  York  from  July  to  November. 

Schenectady  incorporated  a  city. 

Cayuga  bridg*,>the  longest  in  America,  finished  in  September. 

George  Clinton  again  elected  governor. 

Bufiitla'laid  out  by  the  Holland  Land  Company. 

U.'  3.  Navy  Yard  established  in  Brooklyn  March  11. 

Holland  Land  Company  open  their  first  land  office  in  Batavia 

Academy  of  Fine  Arts  founded. 

Military  Academy  at  West  Point  established  by  Congress. 

Sackett's  Harbor  fir^t  settled  by  A.  Sackett,  Esq. 

Yellow  Fever  ip  New  York — about  700  persons  died  :  commenced  about  July 

20. 
Morgan  Lewis  elected  governor :  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler  died :  Alexander  Hamilton 

killed  in  a  duel  with  Aaron  Burr.  ^ 

Harbor  of  Genesee  made  a  port  of  entry. 
Yellow  Fever  in  New  York — about  300  persons  died. 
Fulton'$  Steamboat  first  used  on  Hudson  River. 
Daniel  D.  Tompkins  governor. 
New  York  Historical  Society  established. 
Battle  at  Queenstown,  Gen.  Brock  killed,  Oct  13. 
Hamilton  College  at  Kirkland  established. 
Rochester  first  settled. 

Maj.  Young  captures  the  first  standard  from  the  enemy  at  St.  Regis  Oct.  23. 
Lewistown  attacked,  April  6 :  York,  U.  C.  taken  April  27. 
Ogdensburgh  taken  by  the  British  Feb.  31. 
Fort  €reorge  taken  May  27 :  Sackett's  Harbor  attacked  May  29. 
Perry's  victory  on  Lake  Erie  Sept.  10. 
Fort  George  abandoned  by  the  Americans  Dec.  10. 
Fort  Niagara  captured  by  the  British  Dec.  19 :  Buffalo  burnt. 
Fort  Oswego  taken  by  the  British  May  6 :  Fort  Erie  taken  by  Gen.  Brown  July 

3 :  Battle  of  Chippewa  July  5 :  Battle  of  Bridgewater  July  25 :  Fort  Erie  at 

tacked  by  the  British  Aug.  14. 
Battle  of  Plattsburg,  British  fleet  on  Lake  Champlain  taken,  Sept.  11. 
Robert  Fulton  died  suddenly  in  New  York  Feb.  ^4. 
American  Bible  Society  formed  in  New  York. 
Auburn  State  Prison  commenced. 

Troy  incorporated  a  city :  West  Point  Foundery  established. 
Erie  Canal  commenced  July  4,  near  Utica. 

First  Steamboat  (Walk  in  the  Water)  on  Lake  Erie  built  at  Black  Rock. 
Jemima  Wilkinson,  "  the  Universal  Friend,"  dies  at  Jerusalem,  Yates  Co 
Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Seminary  founded. 
De  Witt  Clinton  elected  governor. 
Auburn  Theological  Seminary  incorporated. 
Harbor  of  New  York  closed  by  ice  ui  January. 
Lookport  founded,  incor^/orated  in  1889. 
Troy  Female  Seminary  established. 
Yellow  Fever  in  New  York,  about  3,500  persons  died. 
Joseph  C.  Yates  elected  governor. 
Champlain  Canal  completed :  it  was  commenced  in  October,  1816. 


\  , 


\ 


C!HBOMOi:.OOICAL  TABU. 


1833. 


18:34. 
« 

1835. 
« 

II 

II 

II 

18S6. 
<i 

1828. 
11 

1839. 

II 
II 


1830, 


1831 


1832. 


<i 
1833. 


1834. 
1835. 

1836. 

1837. 
II 

II 

II 

1838. 
11 


New  SUte  C!oiuiUtatum  went  into  operation  Jan.  1. 

Hudwn  River  Steamboat  monopoly  diuolved  by  the  Sapicme  Court  of  the  United 
States. 

De  Witt  Clinton  re-elected  governor.  ^, 

Gen.  La  Fayette  arrives  in  the  harbor  of  New  York  Aug.  13. 

New  State  Prison  commenced  at  Sing  Sing. 

Syracuse  village  incorporated. 

Geneva  College  incorporated. 

Completion  of  the  Erie  Canal  Oct  26 :  grand  celebration  in  N,  York  Nov.  4. 

Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  commenced,  finished  in  1829. 

AbducUon  of  Wra.  Morgan  Sept.  11 :  Anti-Matonie  excitement  commenced. 

American  Seamen's  Friend  Society  instituted. 

De  Witt  Clinton  died  suddenly  at  Albany  Feb.  11. 

Oswego  Canal  completed :  commenced  in  1826. 

Martin  /an  Buren  governor;  after  bemg  in  office  three  months  he  resigned,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Enoe  T.  Throop. 

Safety  Fund  Act  passed  April  2. 

American  Institute  of  the  city  of  New  York,  for  the  promotion  of  Domestic 

Industry  and  the  advancement  of  the  Arts,  established. 
Explosion  of  the  Steam  Frigate  Fulton,  Brooklyn,  June  4,  26  persons  killed. 
John  Jay  died  at  Bedford. 

Literary  Convention  at  New  York  on  education  Oct.  20. 
Col.  Marinus  Willett  died  at  New  York  Aug.  3,  aged  90  years. 
Elias  Hicks,  a  delebrated  preacher  among  the  Friends,  died. 
Joseph  Smith  publishes  the  "  Book  of  Mormon"  at  Pahnyra. 
President  James  Monroe  died  in  New  York  July  4. 
University  of  the  City  of  New  York  incorporated  April  18. 
Tariff  Convention  at  New  York,  500  delegates,  Oct.  26. 
Brooklyn  and  Jamaica  Raiboad  incorporated  April  25. 
The  Cholera  breaks  out  in  New  York  June  27,  continued  till  Oct  19— upwards 

of  4,000  persons  died.  / 

Utica  and  Buffalo  incorporated  as  cities.  ' 

Hudson  River  open  to  Albany  Jan.  5. 

Red  Jacket,  a  celebrated  Seneca  chief,  died  Jan.  20,  near  Buffala 
William  L.  Marcy  governor.  ' 

Chemung  and  Crooked  Lake  Canal  completed. 

Chenango  Canal  commenced.  ; 

Grand  Island  sold  by  the  state  to  the  East  Boston  Company. 
Rochester  incorporated  a  city.  *  \ 

Great  Fire  in  New  York,  teventeen  milliong  worth  of  property  destroyed. 

Dec.  16. 
State  Lunatic  Asylum  at  Utica,  instituted  March  30. 
William  H.  Seward  governor. 
Wreck  of  the  Mexico  on  Hempstead  Beach  Jan.  3. 
Tunnel  of  the  Harlaem  Railroad  completed  Oct  26. 
Steamboat  Caroline  at  Schloeser  burnt,  and  precipitated  over  the  Falls  of  Niagara 

by  the  British,  Dec.  30. 
General  or  Free  Banking  Law  passed  April  18. 
Banks  of  New  York  authorized  to  suspend  their  payments  for  one  year,  from 

May  16, 183?. 


k 


\ 


CyllONOLOOICAL    TABUE. 

1638.  English  steam  pa<Qk1)ts  (Qreat  Western  and  Sinus  arrive  at  New  York. 
"     Battle  of  Prejofltt,  U.  C,  Nov.  13,  "  Canada  patrioU"  captured. 

1839.  Tenants  ^ff  the  Rensselaer  estate  convene  at  Berne,  July  4,  payment  of  rent 
reA^ed:  sheriff  resisted:  military  force  called  out :  difficulties  suppressed,  in 

^^^.^„,*Brecember. 
''^'     District  School  Libraries  established  by  law. 
"     Schooner  Amistad  with  54  Africans  taken  near  Montauk  Point,  Avg.  26. 

1840.  Draw-bridge  at  Albany  gives  way,  upwards  of  20  lives  lost,  Aug  18. 

**     Jesse  Buel  of  Albany,  an  eminent  agricultural  writer,  died  at  Oanbury,  Ct. 

Oct.  6. 
"     Steamboat  Lexington  burnt  in  Long  Island  Sound,  Jan.  13. 

1841.  Railroad  from  Boston  lo  Albany  completed. 

"  Alexander  McLeod,  of  Upper  Canada,  one  of  the  party  who  burnt  the  steam- 
boat Caroline,  arrested,  Jan  27. 

"      Steam  packet  President  sails  for  Liverpool,  March  11 — never  heard  from. 

"  First  fVaahington  Temperance  Meeting  held  in  New  York,  five  delegates  from 
Baltimore  attended,  March  24. 

"      Steamboat  Erie  burnt  on  Lake  Erie,  Aug.  9— about  180  persons  perished. 

"     Explosion  of  powder  at  Syracuse,  Aug.  20— about  25  persons  killed. 

1842.  Grand  Croton  celebration  in  New  York,  in  October. 

"     Right  Rev.  John  Dubois,  Catholic  Bishop  of  New  York,  died  Dec.  20. 

1843.  William  C.  Bouck,  governor. 

"     Land  slide  at  Troy,  ten  or  twelve  buildings  crushed  and  a  number  of  persons 

killed,  Feb.  17. 
"     Grand  State  Agricultural  Fair  at  Rochester,  commenced,  Sept.  19^-thirty  thou- 
\  sand  persons  supposed  to  be  present 

"^844.  Gen.  Morgan  Lewis,  distinguished  in  many ,  public  offices,  died  in  New  York, 

April  7th,  aged  90. 
♦^     Gen.  Tames  Wadsworth,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  Genesee  Country,  died  at 

Geneseo,  June  7th,  aged  76. 
"  \    Long  Island  Railroad  (94  miles  in  extent)  completed,  July  18. 
"     Great  Agricultural  Fair  at  Poughkeepsie,  Sept.  18. 
"     Two  persons  killed  by  the  Anti-renters  in  Rensselaer  Co.,  Dec.  20. 

1845.  Silas  Wright,  governor. 

"     Great  Fire  in  New  York,  upwards  of  200  buildings  burnt— «bout  six  millions 

worth  of  property  destroyed,  July  19. 
"     Dep.  Sheriff  Steele  murdered  at  Andes,  Delaware  Co.  by  the  Anti-Renters,  Aug.  7 
"      Gov.  Wright  declares  Delaware  Co.  to  be  in  a  state  of  insurrection. 
"     J.  Van  Steetiberg  and  E.  O'Conner,  Anti-Renters,  received  sentence  of  death  at 

Delhi,  Oct  11. 

1846.  Lewiston,  Niagara  Co.,  made  a  port  of  entry,  Jan.  17 
"     Constitution  revised  and  amended  by  a  CoDTention. 

1847.  John  Young,  Governor. 

1849.  Hamilton  Fish,  Governor. 

"     Mob  at  the  Opera  House,  New  York.    19  persons  killed  by  the  military,  May  10. 

1850.  Explosion  in  Hague  street,  New  York.    67  persons  killed,  Feb.  4. 

1851.  Washington  Hunt,  Governor. 

"  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad  completed,  at  an  expense  of  upwards  of  twenty 
millions  of  dollars.    President  Fillmore  and  suite  arrived  at  Dunkirk,  May  15. 


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